Teton Valley Magazine Summer 2024

36 FAMILIAR FACES 42 VALLEY VOICES 48 GROWING THINGS 86 FIELD NOTES 92 OVER THE HILL 110 LOCAL FLAVORS

SUMMER 2024

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

magazine

Basin

CENTURY FARMS

INCLUSIVE RECREATION TRAIL RUNNING

Flowers

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Navigating the realms of buying or selling, upsizing or downsizing, hinges on selecting the right real estate ally. At Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties, our team holds a deep-seated connection to the community, a genuine passion for the locale, and an unwavering commitment to exceeding your every expectation.

Connect with our team today at WWW.TETONVALLEY.REALESTATE and witness the difference firsthand.

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AMY DERY

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Indulge in the natural wonders of Teton Valley 189 N Main Street, Suite 100 Driggs, ID 83422

dave DERY

Sales associate

ann goodell

Sales associate

farrah kamel

sales associate

208-354-9955 www.tetonvalley.realestate

doug gemmel

Sales associate

miranda jacobsen sales associate

SUMMER 2024

magazine 1

TIN CUP BUSINESS CHALLENGERS

GrandAssociates KIM BERES | BROOKE SAINDON | PATTI KAUF

Community Foundation of Teton Valley | 208-354-0230 P.O. Box 1523 | 189 N. Main Street, Suite 112 | Driggs, ID 83422 2

magazine SUMMER 2024

1 SPRINGS PARKWAY, VICTOR C21tetonvalley.com 208.787.8000 Each office is independently owned and operated

SUMMER 2024

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Matt Engle | 801-455-0831 | matt@englebuilt.com | www.englebuilt.com 4

magazine SUMMER 2024

SOVEREIGN CUSTOM HOMES

ZACH SMITH, Partner/Associate Broker (307) 690-3674 zacharysmith@compass.com

DEDICATED • EX PE R IE NCE D • KNO W L E DG E A B L E T H E P ROOF IS I N TH E NUMBE RS. • Za c h Sm i th h as 1 8 ye ars ’ experience sell ing Teto n Val l ey real esta te a nd h as c los e d m ore th an 240 transactio ns in Victo r alo ne • Re p re s e n te d cli e n ts i n 3 00+ transactio ns • $88 m i lli on i n s ale s b e tween 2019 and 2023

“ Highest possible recommendation for Za ch Sm ith. Zach prev iously ser ved as the mayor of Victor, he knows ever y t h i n g about local m ar ket dy namics, and has dee p exper ience with all rea l estate processes. He g ave immediate and thorou g h responses to all our questions. Thanks, Za ch ! ” SUMMER 2024

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BuildWithTheGrain.com or kurt@buildwiththegrain.com 6

magazine SUMMER 2024

307.576.5760

SUMMER 2024

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8

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SUMMER 2024

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Publisher’s Note

16

Contributors

top to bottom 20 30 Ways to Play | Hops Cyclery |

B on 33 | Mushrooms | Summer of Music | Teton Valley Museum

our neighbors

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LINDA M SWOPE; CAMRIN DENGEL; BRAD BONER; CAMRIN DENGEL; COURTESY OF WESTERN DESIGN CONFERENCE; LARA AGNEW

30 all in a day’s work

56

Boondoggle Baking

36 familiar faces

Beau Jacoby

42 valley voices

Mountain Roots Education

48 growing things

Basin Flowers

features 56 Heralds of the Season 62 Inclusive Recreation 70 Legacy of the Land 78 Peaks to Valleys

compass points 86 field notes

48

Smoke Season

92 over the hill

Western Design Conference

98 trail talk

The South Fork Hilton

104 out below

70

92

Rocks, Water, and Sand

110 local flavors

Juanita’s Market

directories 18

Advertiser Directory

114 Dining Guide 117 Lodging Guide

98

118 School Directory 118 Church Directory

exposure 120 Pickleball

30

ON THE COVER Zena Wolcott-

MacCausland, the cut flower farmer behind Basin Flowers, grows vibrant blooms on her quarter-acre lot in Victor.

PHOTO BY Lara Agnew

SUMMER 2024

magazine 9

We are with you every step of the way

Christine McGurn, DPM

Stefan Turkula, MD

Podiatry, Podiatric Surgeon

Orthopedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine

Mike Haskell, PA-C Orthopedics

Pain Management Working with you to control pain & restore your quality of life

Swing Bed Transitional Care Helping you heal from hospital to home

Therapeutic Rehabilitation Helping you get back to the life you want to live

From injury to recovery, we are by your side!

Teton Valley Health Care 120 East Howard Avenue Driggs, Idaho 83422 (208) 354-2383 tvhcare.org 10

magazine SUMMER 2024

Build New. Build West.

JACKSON, WYOMING • ALPINE, WYOMING • DRIGGS, IDAHO • PARK CITY, UTAH

ARCHITECT: FARMER PAYNE ARCHITECTS

NEWWESTBC.COM magazine 11

SUMMER 2024

publisher’s note

SUMMER 2024

7TH ANNUAL

September 18-21 TETON VALLEY, IDAHO

As my yard thawed out and the receding snow made way

Come stay overnight in Teton Valley!

for specks of green grass and the earliest budding flowers, I combed through my garden for hints of tulips. (I had planted no less than fifty bulbs the previous fall.) But alas, the pesky voles had devoured each and every one, sparing only the dozen or so daffodils I’d added to the mix. I resolved to try again

PHOTO BY KIT WEITNAUER

next year, likely with daffodils only, and fill my tulip void with

Enjoy crane tours, workshops, and Saturday Community Celebration. For more information on the week’s activities, please visit tetonlandtrust.org.

Publishers Sage Hibberd and Kate Hull with publisher emeritus Nancy McCullough-McCoy and editor at large Michael McCoy.

bouquets from our local cut flower growers instead.

Now, I am no green-thumbed expert gardener—I now know tulips are the equivalent of dessert to a vole—but staring at the void remaining from my lost bulbs, I felt even more enamored and impressed with the grit and gumption of our local growers. How do they do it? Mother Nature can throw out a lot of obstacles in Teton Valley, like mid-summer snows, wild

Sponsored by:

winds, and natural predators. Yet, we still have fields of quinoa and potatoes, a packed farmers market with ample options grown in our valley, and gorgeous blooms galore from local growers. That is worthy of celebrating.

I think often of how we could fill an entire magazine with stories about our growers and farmers—and makers and creators.

And in many ways, we do. This valley is filled with residents who carve their creative paths and forge niches all their own.

It’s no doubt a reflection of the spirit of the West, and the resourceful, rugged, entrepreneurial folks that the Tetons attract and inspire.

Some, like Zena Wolcott-MacCausland, have found a way to make cultivating the land a worthy career move. Learn about her second year as the grower behind Basin Flowers in Jeannette Boner’s profile (page 48). Others have roots that run a century deep. Take our photo essay captured by Camrin Dengel (page 70). In it, we celebrate a selection of Idaho Century

• Quality Prepared Foods and Fresh Cut Meats • Great Selection of Wine and Local Beer

Open Every Day at 7 AM (208) 787-2230 Main & Center in Victor 12

magazine SUMMER 2024

Farms and Ranches in Teton Valley, honoring families who have cultivated the same land their ancestors did one hundred years ago. And there are those teaching the next generation, forging a love of growing your own food in school gardens, led by nonprofit Mountain Roots Education (page 42).

Then there is Boondoggle Baking’s Amelia Lohrenz and her ancient baking style using a mud oven (page 30) or Beau Jacoby’s family affair to continue to carve out a community space for nutrition and natural foods at Barrels and Bins (page 36).

The list could go on. No matter the path, it is worthy of celebrating—a task we at Teton Valley Magazine are thrilled to do edition after edition. Here’s to summer, and may your gardens grow well. And if, like me, you find them less than ideal, I’ll see you at the farmers market. Heck, come anyway!

Open Daily, 6am - 6pm Specialty Coffee Scratch Bakery Locally Roasted Beans 465 South Main Street @wydahoroasters wydahoroaster.com

CRAFTING CONNECTIONS, ONE CUP AND ONE BITE AT A TIME.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 13

“South Fork Hilton” Overnight Fly Fishing Adventure

SUMMER 2024

Publisher + Editor in Chief Kate Hull kate@powdermountainpress.com

Publisher + Art Director Sage Hibberd

sage@powdermountainpress.com

Sales Manager Jessica Pozzi

jessica@powdermountainpress.com

Publisher Emeritus Nancy McCullough-McCoy

Editor at Large Michael McCoy

Design Advisor Linda Grimm

Graphic Designer Julie Martin

Copy Editor Rebecca Mitchell Chloe Eichler

The ultimate two-day fly fishing experience located 1 hour from Jackson, WY.

Booking now for Summer 2024!

Contributors

Molly Absolon Lara Agnew Judy Allen Brad Boner Jeannette Boner Camrin Dengel Cody Downard Julie Ellison Tom Hallberg Julie Martin Michael McCoy Christina Shepherd McGuire Alex Nabaum Kristen Pope Jenn Rein Linda M Swope

Magazine of the Year, 2022 Teton Valley Magazine is published twice yearly

by Powder Mountain Press, LLC 189 N Main #205 | PO Box 1167 | Driggs ID 83422 (208)354-3466 | TetonValleyMagazine.com

38 West Center Street Victor, ID 83455 800.654.0676 gofish@worldcastanglers.com 14

magazine SUMMER 2024

©2024 by Powder Mountain Press, LLC No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Editorial comments, ideas, and submissions are welcomed. The publisher will not be responsible for the return of unsolicited photos, articles, or other materials unless accompanied by a SASE. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 28, No. 1

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2023 RealTrends: America’s Top Real Estate Professionals 2017-2023: Teton Valley Top Producer SUMMER 2024 magazine 15 65 South Main Street, Driggs, ID. 83422 | fallline@compass.com | tetonvalleybrokers.com

SUMMER 2024

contributors Lara Agnew

Camrin Dengel

As a visual storyteller, Lara

Camrin

(Basin Flowers, page 48) is

Land, page 70) is a Teton

drawn to stories of people

Valley based photographer.

and places. Her work is

The heart of her work cen-

deeply influenced by her

ters around environmental

curiosity

storytelling,

and

apprecia-

of

the

regenerative

tion of the natural world,

food systems, sustainable

humans, and connection.

trades, and nature-based

When not behind the lens,

lifestyles. Her clients in-

you can find her tending her garden, curling up with

clude The Nature Conservancy, Patagonia, VICE, and

a book, recreating outside with loved ones, or seek-

Friends of the Teton River.

ing out a new recipe or song. If you’re wondering whether or not you should share your favorite joke

Alex Nabaum

with her—you definitely should. She lives in Teton

Alex

Valley with her family.

Outdoor Recreation, page

Nabaum

(Inclusive

62) grew up in Colorado

Judy Allen

and Utah, but currently skis

Celebrating 41 years in the

in Wydaho. He has worked

Tetons—21 in Teton Valley—

as a treadmill tester, carica-

Judy Allen (Beau Jacoby,

ture artist, T-shirt designer,

page 36) writes, teaches,

newspaper artist, and for

and grows organic produce

the last 18 years as a free-

year-round in her solar

lance illustrator. His illustrations have appeared in

greenhouse

garden,

the pages of the Wall Street Journal, The New York

Gardens,

Times, National Geographic, Backcountry Magazine,

where she rents garden

and on the cover of Newsweek, Forbes, and ESPN.

beds to the public. Through her work with Teton Val-

However, his favorite subject to illustrate is skiing at

ley Magazine, she enjoys getting to know a sampling

skiposters.art.

Darby

and

Canyon

of the creative, committed people who call this com-

Jenn Rein

munity home.

Jenn

Brad Boner

Rein’s

(Boondoggle

Baking, page 30) byline has Fork

been seen in regional pub-

Hilton, page 98) career as

lications that reflect the

a

spans

Teton Valley lifestyle and

more than two decades of

that of other parts of the

documenting some of the

Rockies since 2006. She is

most culturally rich cor-

also a regular contributor

Brad’s

(The

South

photojournalist

ners of the American land-

to PleinAir Magazine, South-

scape. He strives to capture

west Art, Artists Magazine, and Watercolor Artist. You

the essence and spirit of

can read more of her work on her portfolio site,

the subjects in his images and uses photography to

jennrein.com.

illustrate his love for the outdoors.

Brad has been the chief photographer at the Jackson Hole News&Guide since 2004 and photo editor of Jackson Hole Magazine since 2005. He lives in Victor, Idaho, with his wife, Jeannette, their kids, Adeline and Will, a grumpy cat, and Rosie the red heeler.

16

(Legacy

magazine SUMMER 2024

Under the Buffalo Decades of Local Real Estate Knowledge and Commitment to Our Community.

Fall Line Realty Elizabeth Cheney

Jonathan McLaren

Karin Wertheim

Debbie Hunter

Dawn Bollinger

Hunter McLaren

Brett Novik

Lora Davis

Chelsea Baum

Joanne LaBelle

Not Pictured: Kate Parsons 208.534.8907 Brian Siegfried 307.690.9346 Marcie George 949.690.5410 Natalie Volcko 208.709.1945 Charlie Ross 307.413.7449 Ed Liebzeit 307.413.1618

914.588.2302 208.419.6939 208.317.5652

10 N MAIN, DRIGGS 208.354.8880 JHSIR.COM

307.413.5238

208.270.3165

Office Manager

208.201.5151

208.716.0694 208.313.7669

EACH OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED.

208.313.3133

SEARCH LOCAL REAL ESTATE INVENTORY ONLINE SUMMER 2024 magazine 17

advertiser directory

SUMMER 2024

YOUR FULL-SERVICE BACKCOUNTRY AND CLIMBING SHOP IN THE TETONS SINCE 1993

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GET OUT The complete store for all your outdoor needs OPEN DAILY 9-6

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Authentic Mexican Cuisine Open Daily 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

310 N Main St. Driggs, ID 83422

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magazine SUMMER 2024

208.354.2003

51 18 24 28 44 25 101 88 45, 109 3 32 IFC, 1 2, 100 34 5 41 119 102 24 4 19 15 103 51 44 107 53 47, BC 38 27 95 26 97 25 26 88 91, 100 113 33 52 11 95 94 89 111 52 103 39 45 41 89 IBC 17 29 46 91 109 47 107 23 90 54, 55 12 111 108 46 34 97 112 10 94 8 7 39 96 35 38 90 12 40 6 14 13 18

Adair Homes Agave Alpine Air Roasters Apex Private Chef Services Barrels & Bins Natural Market Bart Birch Law Broulim’s Fresh Foods Butter Cafe Caldera Creative Century 21 Citizen 33/Forage/Tatanka Tavern Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties Community Foundation of Teton Valley Community Resource Center Compass – Zach Smith CRYO Therapy Idaho Downtown Driggs Association Driggs Depot Square Businesses Endo Peaks Outdoor Rentals Engle Built Engel & Völkers Fall Line Realty Group Fall River Electric Fall River Propane Family Safety Network Festive Living & Design Friends of the Teton River Grand Targhee Resort Grand Teton Brewing Company Grand Teton Music Festival Habitat Hansen Guest Ranch & Event Venue Harmony Design & Engineering Keller Williams Teton Valley King Sushi Linn Canyon Ranch Madison Health MD Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. Moose Creek Ranch Mountain Roots Education New West Building Company Ninety-Eight Electric Parkins Law Office PAWS of Teton Valley Peaked Sports Pelvic Floored - Kelly P. Sadauckas Pinky G’s Pizzeria Refuge Taphouse Renew Salon and Spa Rise Coffee House Silver Star Communications Sotheby’s International Realty - Cisco Group Sotheby’s International Realty St. John’s Health StudioCORE Teton Valley Summit Self Storage Teton Aviation Teton Contracting Teton County Title Teton Homestead Teton Reserve Teton Regional Economic Coalition Teton Regional Land Trust Teton School District 401 Teton Thai/Teton Tiger Teton Valley Bible Church Teton Valley Cabins Teton Valley Fair Teton Valley Foundation Teton Valley Health Teton Valley Music Alliance Teton Valley Realty The Perlman Project The Rusty Nail Tribe Artist Collective Tetonia Business Council Valley Lumber & Rental Victor Emporium Victor Valley Market Western Design Conference With the Grain WorldCast Anglers Wydaho Roasters Yöstmark Mountain Equipment

C E RV CE E ,, E EX XP PE ER R II E EN NC CE E CO OM MM MU UN NIIT TY, Y, G GIIV VIIN NG G ,, E E XC XC E EP PT T II O ON NA AL L S SE RV II C Follow Follow your your dream, dream, home... home...

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VISITPIERRESTHEATRE.COM PIERRESTHEATRE.COM TO TO LEARN LEARN MORE MORE VISIT 37NNMain MainStreet, Street,Victor, Victor,Idaho Idaho 37

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SUMMER 2024

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magazine SUMMER 2024

02 03 04 05 06 07 08

SAMPLE BAKED GOODS over a cup of Joe at

Wydaho Roasters—look for special events and game nights

ENJOY LOCALLY ROASTED BREW from Victor’s

Alpine Air, now with a brick and mortar cafe

STOCK UP ON GEAR from WorldCast Anglers’ fly shop, then book your next fishing adventure HIKE OR MOUNTAIN BIKE the South Horseshoe trails in the Big Hole Range west of Driggs SIT OUTSIDE with a latte at Rise Coffee House in Driggs—don’t miss live music on weekends SAVOR BRUNCH OF BISCUITS and poblano sausage gravy at Butter Cafe in Victor SPOIL A GOOD WALK (as Mark Twain would say) by golfing at one of our three public courses FLOAT YOUR CARES AWAY on the Teton River with a kayak rental from Teton River Supply or Wai Mauna

09

TAKE HOME FRESH CUT FLORALS from the

10

PAMPER YOURSELF with a manicure and facial

farmers market on Fridays, June through September

at Victor’s Renew Salon & Spa

PHOTOS: FLOWERS, CAMRIN DENGEL; RISE, KISA KOENIG; PADDLING, LINDA M SWOPE; TOMATOES, LARA AGNEW; GOLF, COURTESY OF TRIBUTARY; SALON, COURTESY OF RENEW SALON; SANDHILL CRANES, LINDA M SWOPE; HUCKLEBERRY, VICTOR EMPORIUM; BIKING, LINDA M SWOPE; TENT, JAMYE CHRISMAN; CAFE, RODEO, LINDA M SWOPE

Ways to Play

Morning

top to bottom

30

01

Evening

Midday 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

TAKE IN WORLD-CLASS orchestral performances at Jackson’s Grand Teton Music Festival RENT A MOUNTAIN BIKE and brush up on your skills with a lesson from Grand Targhee Bike School PACK A LUNCH of Victor Valley Market’s fresh deli sandwiches, then explore Teton Canyon DISCOVER LOCAL TALENT at the Teton Valley Art Market, Saturdays at the Driggs City Center DELVE INTO THE CHARACTER of the valley at the Teton Geo Center or the Teton Valley Museum, both in Driggs BIKE ALONG a piece of history on the AshtonTetonia Trail, formerly a line of the Union Pacific Railroad COOL OFF with a huckleberry shake from the

Victor Emporium or a lime freeze at Corner Drug in Driggs

HEAD OUT ON A HIKE at Grand Targhee and try

to identify the vibrant wildflowers

MAKE PLANS for the Greater Yellowstone Crane

Festival, September 18-21 (more on page 56)

CATCH LIVE MUSIC, Shakespeare in the Parks,

and more hosted by the Downtown Driggs Association

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

HIT THE TOWN with live music, special events, movies, and more at Victor’s historic Pierre’s Theatre ENJOY A POST-HIKE BEER or wine at Victor’s hotspot, Refuge Taphouse on Main Street CELEBRATE THE SEASON and dance the night away on Thursdays at Music on Main in Victor SIP A SAMPLE at Victor’s craft cidery, Highpoint Cider, then stick around for bingo or trivia night SHARE A SPECIAL DINNER with family and friends at Linn Canyon Ranch SOAK UP THE SUNSHINE with sushi and sashimi

enjoyed on the patio at King Sushi in Driggs

KICK OFF HAPPY HOUR at Grand Teton Brewery and enjoy burgers on the lawn from Otto’s Kitchen HOOT AND HOLLER for the cowboys and cowgirls

at the Friday evening Teton Valley Rodeo

HANG WITH THE LOCALS at the Royal Wolf where “snow sagas and fish tales are told nightly” ENJOY LIVE MUSIC over cocktails at the Tetonia

Club or Victor’s Knotty Pine Supper Club SUMMER 2024

magazine 21

SUMMER 2024

top to bottom

B ON

33 Cyclery

VICTOR’S NEW BIKE SHOP, Hops Cyclery, is

a local spot for more than bikes. Offering bike service, consignment bike sales and services, new bikes sales, and accessories, Hops Cyclery is also carving out a space for community connection centered around a love of hitting the trail.

“We will host clinics for those wanting a little more education on caring for their bike at home or on the trail,” says Jim Schuppler, who owns the shop alongside his wife Lisa and Jeremiah Keavney. “We will also host bike rides from the shop, events, and be a place for connection with other bike enthusiasts.”

Located at 38 West Birch Street in Victor, Hops Cyclery sells Pivot, Orbea, and Salsa bikes. Jim and Jeremiah run the day-to-day business and tech scene, while Lisa manages the marketing. This summer, the trio is excited to get to know the bike community.

Stop by to get a tune up, find a new bicycle, or hit up a summer trail ride with Hops Cyclery. hopscyclery.com 22

magazine SUMMER 2024

Home

Grown

Atop Pizzeria Alpino’s gourmet pizzas or on the shelves at Barrels and Bins, MORNING DEW MUSHROOMS gourmet mushrooms and microgreens are a year-round staple in Teton Valley. Sarah and Patrick McDonnell, the cultivators behind Idaho’s biggest mushroom

farm, grow a dozen varieties of mushrooms at their Felt farm.

“This past fall, we finished a new grow facility and are growing more mushrooms than ever,” Sarah says.

“We grow about a dozen different varieties, using commercial equipment to create a humid environment indoors for the mushrooms to thrive in.”

From shiitake to lion’s mane, find their mushrooms on menus and at local farmers markets, or contact them to order your own. morningdewmushrooms.com

PHOTOS: CYCLERY TEAM, COURTESY OF HOPS CYCLERY; MUSHROOM TEAM, COURTESY OF MORNING DEW MUSHROOMS

Hops

BEAUTIFYING OUR BYWAYS is a grassroots effort that aims to restore native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs along a lengthy stretch of Highway 33’s bike path corridor.

The goal is to benefit native pollinators, reduce noxious weeds, and beautify the scenic byway. This new nonprofit is a volunteer effort operating under fiscal sponsorship of Teton Valley Trails and Pathways. To volunteer, become a business supporter, or learn more, visit bon33tv. org.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 23

VACATION RENTALS LONG TERM RENTALS CARETAKING HOUSEKEEPING MAINTENANCE

TURNING THINGS UPSIDE DOWN

Your Local Team of Experts Leading the Way in 2024

EXPECT MORE More revenue.

More communication.

More confidence.

www.tetonhomestead.com 800-746-5518

7

SUMMER 2024

top to bottom

ENJOY OUR SPECIALTY COFFEE, FRESHLY ROASTED IN TETON VALLEY.

KATIE COONEY

SIT AND SAVOR A CUP IN OUR WELCOMING CAFE WITH DELICIOUS COFFEE DRINKS AND BREAKFAST BITES!

Summer

of

OPEN TUESDAY SATURDAY, 7AM-2PM, & SUNDAY, 8AM-2PM.

ALPINEAIRCOFFEE.COM

THE TETONS ARE ROCKING all

summer long with a packed calendar of concerts. From free live music as part of Teton Valley Foundation’s Music on Main to renowned acts hitting the stage at Grand Targhee’s Bluegrass Festival.

Here are just a few must-see shows happening throughout the valley.

• Extensive local trail systems • Daily rentals starting at $39 • 40-mile battery range 34TH ANNUAL GRAND TARGHEE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

Three days of incredible bluegrass in a high-alpine setting.

Friday – Sunday, August 9 – August 1 1 grandtarghee.com DOWNTOWN SOUNDS

Downtown Driggs Association’s free live music series with a wide range of genres, held at the Driggs Plaza stage on Main Street. downtowndriggs.org MUSIC ON MAIN

Located at 107 West Little Ave, Suite 2 in Driggs

24

magazine SUMMER 2024

@endopeaks

Free concert series put on by Teton Valley Foundation.

Thursdays, June 20 – August 15 tetonvalleyfoundation.org

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LINDA M SWOPE; COURTESY OF GTMF; JAMYE CHRISMAN; PMP

175 W CENTER STREET, VICTOR, IDAHO 83455

Elevate the everyday.

FIND YOUR HOME IN THE SHADOW OF THE TETONS.

Music GRAND TETON MUSIC FESTIVAL

Eight weeks of performances under the leadership of GTMF Director Sir Donald Runnicles. Concerts span orchestral and chamber music to special events, free outdoor shows, and community events.

June 27 – August 17 gtmf.org PIERRE’S THEATRE

Enjoy live music and special events all summer like an Elton John Tribute Band on July 11, two phenomenal Austin-based singersongwriters on July 12, and free classical music presented by GTMF On the Road held July 13. pierrestheatre.com

1 S. MAIN STREET | INFO@KWJACKSONHOLE.COM | 307-201-5231

Barton J. Birch ATTORNEY bart@eastidaholaw.net

TETONIA CLUB

Teton Valley’s original bar, the Tetonia Club, hosts live music, open mic nights, special events, and more, all summer long. tetoniaclub.com

Practicing in : Family Law Estates/Probate Litigation Criminal Law

Real Property/Landlord/Tenant Guardianship/Adoption Business Law Collections

65 S. Main #2 | Driggs, ID 83422 TEL 208-354-0110 FAX 208-354-0115 SUMMER 2024

magazine 25

SUMMER 2024

top to bottom

Teton Valley

Museum

DRIGGS, IDAHO

STEP BACK IN TIME at the Teton

Valley Museum, where artifacts, displays, and historical relics celebrate the early days of life in the Tetons, from the ShoshoneBannock tribe to early pioneers.

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The two-story building features more than 10,000 square feet of exhibits covering two hundred years of history. Peek inside a real pioneer school room, take a look at World War II weaponry, and explore the histories of local families with thousands of digitized photographs and documents. The museum is staffed by volunteers and funded through donations.

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Adult: $8 Children: $4 (under 6 are free) Family household pass: $25.

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26

magazine SUMMER 2024

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magazine 27

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SUMMER 2024

magazine 29

OUR NEIGHBORS

all in a day’s work

BOONDOGGLE BAKING’S

Amelia Lohrenz bakes sourdough loaves in the mud oven she and her partner, Andrew McCarthy, built at their Tetonia home.

30

magazine SUMMER 2024

BY JENN REIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMRIN DENGEL

Boondoggle Baking Ancient baking process rises to the occasion While living and working in Antarctica, Amelia Lohrenz was participating in a group trip that she noted at the time was a “boondoggle.” The term stuck with her.

“A boondoggle is a trip or an activity

“I did not intend for it to become a

that is ostensibly useful, but it is basically

commercial endeavor, or it would have

for morale,” Amelia says. She aligns some

been a lot bigger,” Amelia says. She at-

of her own adventures with this word.

tended a workshop as part of the Grain

The sense of joy Amelia finds in bak-

Gathering at Washington State Univer-

ing led her to apply the word to her own

sity, during their annual Bread Lab Col-

enterprise, Boondoggle Baking. The fun

lective, a group that works to put sustain-

behind this moniker includes using an

ability and nutrition at the center of the

age-old baking method, and an approach

food conversation.

that requires time, patience, and passion.

There, she took in a workshop led by

Amelia’s property, located on the out-

Kiko Denzer about making mud ovens.

skirts of Tetonia, is surrounded by thick

Amelia purchased his book and, after

aspen growth. Behind her home, she has

some time, decided: Why not make my

created a mud oven in which she hones

own? “It was either that, or build a chick-

her sourdough baking process. Her mud

en coop,” she says, laughing.

oven, also referred to as a cob oven or

The process of preheating the oven

earthen oven, is a throwback to the an-

involves

cient world with elements of nature

chopped and fed into the confines of this

sheer

manpower.

Wood

is

shaping its function.

large baking vessel. Once the fire is lit, it

“This is good ol’ Teton mud and

has to burn for at least two hours to pro-

rocks,” Amelia says. “The protective

duce white-hot coals. The top of the in-

structure that shelters the oven costs

terior of the oven should be white when

far more than the oven itself.” Made of

ready, and the baker has other tests avail-

treated wood and galvanized steel roof-

able to ensure the proper temperature

ing panels, the shelter is critical to the

has been achieved. “It’s ready when you

oven’s survival. Should it be exposed to

poke into it, and all of the hair on your

elements such as rain or snow, it would

arm burns off,” Amelia says, grinning.

disintegrate. Amelia, alongside her part-

While any other baker would simply

ner Andrew McCarthy, built the mud

preheat an oven by turning a knob, there

oven in the fall of 2021.

is no simple switch for Amelia’s hand-

AN ANCIENT BAKING

practice, the mud oven is made with Teton mud and rocks, and covered with treated wood and galvanized steel roofing panels to protect it from the elements. Once the oven is searing at just over 600 degrees, it is ready for the loaves.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 31

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made equipment. “This is baking in its oldest form,” she says. “There’s no flipping this thing on or off.” Once the oven is searing at just over 600 degrees, Amelia throws a pizza in for good measure.

This is both a test for heat and a ritual of meal-making that precedes the creation of her sourdough loaves.

“I can place six, twenty-four-ounce loaves in at a time,” she says. “The first batch takes twenty-five minutes, and the second takes forty.” As the process moves along, the oven loses heat and there is no recreating the initial blaze during baking. For one full firing, Amelia is able to bake a dozen loaves.

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After the heat diminishes, warmth remains in the oven. Amelia has attempted to use the full firing and the residual heat, post-firing, to produce other baked goods. Apart from her experiments with yeasted dough, which require impeccable timing, she has tried to use the captured heat to bake cookies. Because of the intricate timing required, however, Amelia had to let go of using the complete arc of the heat. “It turns out that two ancient, imperfect processes make the perfect marriage—the mud oven and the sourdough,” she says.

32

magazine SUMMER 2024

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Amelia preps the dough for her sourdough loaves; a selection of mini pies ready to be enjoyed; the Boondoggle Baking stand at the Teton Valley Farmers Market ready for hungry patrons.

Just as an artist must choose the right tools to approach a composition, Amelia seeks out the particular ingredients that will make her creations sing with flavor.

Growing up adjacent to U.S. military facilities (her mother worked as a civilian for the Armed Services) allowed Amelia to experience home in many places. She has lived in Iceland, Japan, Italy, and Germany. Once on her own as an adult, she found herself in Alaska, Antarctica, the Pacific Northwest, Glacier National Park,

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and Boston.

She did not pursue a formal culinary education but instead matriculated as an art major. Her training in food has evolved on-the-job, initially with a master chocolatier, and then with colleagues in baking. And a lot of trial and error.

Throwing one’s hat into the art of making food reflects a willingness to experiment, and the fact that Amelia identifies as an artist leaves room for personal finesse.

She came to the valley because of

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love, she says, moving out to be with her SUMMER 2024

magazine 33

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Amelia adds a log

to the roaring mud oven fire; artisan sourdough loaves baked to perfection; a line forms at the Boondoggle Baking booth, a typical Friday for Amelia and team.

“It turns out that two ancient, imperfect processes make the perfect marriage— the mud oven and the sourdough.”

Amelia Lohrenz partner. After a variety of valley jobs, she

SUMMER VACATION TO YELLOWSTONE, JACKSON HOLE & GRAND TARGHEE

34

magazine SUMMER 2024

Sourcing local flour that had not been sprayed with chemicals was very important to Amelia. “These are all people who are doing the good work, for sure.”

The baked goods Amelia crafts have seen great success, especially at the Teton Valley Farmers Market held Fridays throughout the summer. She has, many times over, been the first booth to run out of product while selling there.

This is a bragging right that makes her proud, and clear proof that her approach is working to its potential.

On the other hand, the yield she has

Farm for a summer during the COVID-19

committed to, thus far, does not meet

pandemic. Through that connection, she

the demand for her sourdough loaves.

established relationships with sources in

“From a craft standpoint, I love my mud

grain. Just as an artist must choose the

oven, but from a production standpoint,

right tools to approach a composition,

it’s preposterous,” she says. But Amelia is

Amelia seeks out the particular ingredi-

a problem-solver who carries a passion-

ents that will make her creations sing with

ate commitment for the process. She

flavor.

hopes to rebuild the oven this spring and

River Valley, she obtains stone-ground,

1 Mountain Vista Dr. Driggs, ID 83422

rye flour and malt from them,” she says.

ended up working at Victor’s Canewater

Through Hillside Grain in the Wood

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Choteau, Montana. “I’ve started getting

expand beyond the existing footprint in order to produce more.

high extraction flour. For the Vollkornbrot

Look for Boondoggle Baking at the

loaves, a traditional grain loaf, she sources

Teton Valley Farmers Market for the

closer to home from local outfit Grand

summer season, hopefully with Amelia’s

Teton Ancient Grains for rye berries.

access to a larger-capacity mud oven to

“They grow predominantly organic

better meet demand. And know that the

Einkorn wheat, and I get whole rye ber-

baked goods purchased and enjoyed are

ries from them,” Amelia says. Farther

a celebration of ancient baking tradi-

afield from the roots she has established

tions in an oven made from Teton mud

in Idaho is Conservation Grains out of

and rock.

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Two hopping bars, Tetonia Club and Dave’s Pub, with regular live music;

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Tribe Artist Collective art gallery with gifts and paintings and First Friday Art Walks;

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Grand View General Store featuring homemade sandwiches;

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Special events like the Dutch Oven Cookoff and Tetonia Celebrates America; and

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FOLLOW YOUR FAVORITE TETONIA BUSINESSES FOR SPECIALS AND EVENTS SUMMER 2024

magazine 35

OUR NEIGHBORS

familiar faces

A FAMILY MAN with

deep faith and local roots, Beau Jacoby, alongside wife Esther, has continued Barrels and Bins’ position as a hub for natural foods and community connection. For more than a decade, the pair have run the grocery alongside Beau’s parents and, now, the oldest of their six children.

36

magazine SUMMER 2024

BY JUDY ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIE MARTIN

Beau Jacoby It’s a family affair inside Barrels and Bins Natural Market The colorful storefront on Main Street in Driggs, just north of City Center Plaza, is surrounded from spring through fall by pots and planters bursting with blooming flowers and ornamentals.

There’s a continuous flow of custom-

There, in the summer of 2004, he

ers in and out both entrances. Inside

met Esther, who was attending the col-

Barrels and Bins Natural Market, three

lege. Their romance blossomed, but as

generations of the Jacoby family might

Beau describes it, he failed to propose

be working at any time. The ins and outs

marriage in a timely manner, and Esther

of the local grocer are orchestrated by

gave up on him, returning to her church

Beau Jacoby, alongside wife and partner

camp job in Wisconsin at HoneyRock,

Esther.

a summer camp program that is a part

Beau’s circuitous life path gives few

of Wheaton College. Realizing his grave

hints of his eventual success in a local

error, Beau quit his Bible College job to

retail business. A native of Teton Valley,

travel there and propose. They were soon

he loved growing up here, embracing

married at Esther’s Wisconsin camp.

what he calls its “quiet, rural, and free

The newlyweds returned to Teton Val-

nature.” After attending public school

ley, and Beau worked at first for his dad’s

through eighth grade, he was home-

construction company, then landed em-

schooled in high school by mom, Cindy,

ployment at Plan 1 Architects, thanks

which he says changed the trajectory of

to the architectural experience he’d

his life. From age sixteen on, he worked

gained as a teenager. Being a business

for his dad Steve Jacoby’s construction

owner was not on his radar. But during

company, learning both carpentry and

this time, a family health crisis became

architectural software in the process.

the catalyst to motivate Beau and Esther

Raised a non-denominational Christian,

to pursue more natural food choices, a

Beau left the valley in his early twenties

choice that resolved their health issues.

to attend George Fox University, where

By then, their family had expanded with

he stayed for two years, hoping to pur-

four children and they were in search of

sue a career in medicine and become

a career shift that might give them a fi-

a missionary doctor. He soon realized

nancial boost. One day Esther saw a “For

that avenue was not his gift and forged

Sale” sign on Barrels and Bins, put on the

a new goal of ministering to youth. He

market by then-owner and Jacoby-family

returned to be the resident assistant for

neighbor Kathleen Egan. It was Esther’s

Jackson Hole Bible College and a youth

idea to buy the business, and the choice

pastor for the Community Bible Church

meshed well with the family’s nutrition-

in Jackson.

al goals and lifestyle. In 2012, according

BEAU AND ESTHER JACOBY

took over Barrels and Bins Natural Market from founder Kathleen Egan in 2012.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 37

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to Beau, the couple put together “a really creative purchase plan” that included hiring Beau’s parents, Steve and Cindy, as part of the crew.

For two years, Esther ran the store and Beau oversaw hiring, building, and technology, while still at his full-time job with Plan 1. But the pressures and needs of the store led to Beau’s resignation at Plan 1 in 2014 and full-time commitment to their burgeoning business. Esther returned to their growing family—at present, six children, four of whom are homeschooled and two who attend public

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magazine SUMMER 2024

continues

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Now, a decade later, the store is jam-

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school—but

packed with a cornucopia of natural and organic products, some not even available in larger chain locations. Its tiny kitchen and juice bar create seasonal soups, salads, and smoothies daily.

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As evidence of Beau’s dedication, a cadre of long-term employees remains loyal to the store, like now (semi) retired Lynda Olesen, who was first employed in 2009 by previous owner Kathleen Egan.

“Beau is honestly the nicest man I’ve ever worked for,” she says. “He’s kind,

But beyond products and marketing, a sense of community infuses the business. “We really are a family,” Beau says. “Our customers are like those in no other place.”

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OPPOSITE PAGE Beau and Esther with their children (clockwise from top) Kendal (15), Tegan (16), Alayna (17), Presley (12), Greta (6), and Corban (8), alongside dogs Knox and Casper. BELOW Beau with Barrels team members (from left) Brandon Marshal, Lucas DeSmit, Tucker Tyler, and Bobbi Clemmer.

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magazine 39

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magazine SUMMER 2024

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM The youngest Jacoby

children, Corban (left) and Greta; Beau and son Tegan; and the oldest of the Jacoby daughters (from left) Kendal, Presley, and Alayna.

consistent, honest, and forgiving. If it’s a nasty, ugly task, Beau will do it with you.”

By all accounts a successful business, what’s next for Barrels and Bins?

The Jacobys’ main priority is for it to stay independent. According to Beau, there are not a lot of independent health food stores left, with chains and corporations eating up small businesses across the country. After that, Beau and Esther are in an exploratory phase, examining what would best serve Teton Valley. On the wish list: a general manager to take over in-store duties.

What began as a young couple’s experiment has continued and further evolved as a Teton Valley staple. This summer, look for Beau’s daughters behind the cash register, more evidence of the family’s commitment to community and service.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 41

OUR NEIGHBORS

valley voices

TETONIA ELEMENTARY

students Magnolia and Noemi show off the fruits of their labor—ripe cherry tomatoes grown as part of their school garden program led by nonprofit Mountain Roots Education.

42

magazine SUMMER 2024

BY CHRISTINA SHEPHERD MCGUIRE PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARA AGNEW

Mountain Roots Education How does your (school) garden grow?

“I loved the program! It let us get dirty while we were learning,” recalls Teton High School senior Luke Brinker, about his third-grade garden program at Tetonia Elementary.

“Now, as I’m becoming an adult,

ing a typical school day.

knowing where my food comes from is

Today, led by Mountain Roots Educa-

something I’m concerned about. I can

tion, Teton Valley’s school gardens have

definitely taste the difference between

blossomed, and the programming sur-

produce bought from the store and pro-

rounding them enhances the education-

duce that’s grown in a garden.”

al experience of students at Teton School

As the former Tetonia Elementary

District 401’s Tetonia, Victor, and Driggs

garden manager, I remember those days,

elementary schools, and Alta and Wilson

too. Back then, my daughter, Olivia, who

elementary schools, part of the Teton

graduated from high school this spring,

County, Wyoming, district.

participated in garden programming at

Mountain Roots’ mission to “enrich

Tetonia Elementary provided by Emily

lives and build sustainable communities

Sustick and the nonprofit then known

by offering hands-on experiences in gar-

as Full Circle Education. Emily was the

dens, farms, and wild places” has trans-

farm and garden educator and went on

formed the typical classroom experience

to become executive director. Together,

in Teton Valley. The organization now

with the kids and teachers, we resurrect-

manages four school greenhouses in Teto-

ed the large greenhouse already on site,

nia, Driggs, and Victor, Idaho, and Alta,

built four outdoor garden beds, and orga-

Wyoming; maintains thirty outdoor beds

nized weekly spring and fall garden les-

(six in Tetonia, four in Alta, seven in Victor,

sons that culminated with a wood-fired

and thirteen in Wilson); and has secured

pizza party each October.

$15,000 in grant funding for a garden and

Students, like Luke and Olivia, helped plant and care for the veggies, engaged in

outdoor beds to service both Driggs Elementary and Teton Middle School.

lessons that fulfilled the requirements

“The growth of the program and the

of their district’s science curriculum,

momentum we’ve had over the last sev-

and harvested, prepped, cooked, and ate

eral years is so spectacular,” says Hayes

the items they grew. The garden and its

Swinney, executive director of Mountain

programming allowed students, grades

Roots Education. “We’re currently serv-

kindergarten through third, to get out-

ing nearly eight hundred kids, and when

side and explore the natural world dur-

we presented for the high school’s Youth

MOUNTAIN ROOTS EDUCATION’S garden

program is a part of the school curriculum, teaching garden-focused science lessons like soil prep, photosynthesis, and the water cycle for the older students and hands-on activities for the kinders with stories and songs.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 43

Philanthropy Grant through the Community Foundation of Teton Valley, the students there asked when we were going to start a program at their school, too.”

Mountain Roots has taken the garden programming that was started eighteen years ago, and then expanded on by Emily Sustick and former executive director Travis Gay, and transformed it into a learning experience that incorporates

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ten weeks of activities for each school.

Kids work in the garden, create garden art and signage, prep food, learn how to read and prepare kid-friendly recipes, and visit local farms like Arnold Farms in Felt and Cosmic Apple Gardens in Victor.

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Jenna Beck, principal at Alta Elementary, explains that each fifty-minute garden class is oriented around a specific topic, like soil prep, photosynthesis, and the water cycle, and always includes the concept of mindfulness, as well as a work component. She says that lessons incorporate hands-on activities for the kinders, complete with a story or a song component. Then, the bigger kids tend to the “heavy lifting” in the garden and engage in more in-depth science lessons.

Next, comes the harvesting and the cooking.

“In the spring we plant lettuce, radishes, and pea shoots,” Hayes says. “In the fall, we harvest beets and make beet hummus and chocolate beet cupcakes.

We also harvest pizza toppings for our annual pizza party.”

Last year the Youth Philanthropy Grant funded a kitchen box for each

44

magazine SUMMER 2024

Each fifty-minute garden class is oriented around a specific topic, like soil prep and photosynthesis, and always includes the concept of mindfulness, as well as a work component.

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Silas (opposite) munch on watermelon grown in their school greenhouse. A towering sunflower (above) grows in the outdoor garden beds.

school with basic kid-friendly kitchen utensils, as well as two food processors, hot plates, and pots. Mountain Roots also has a chef on their board, Erik Lyngso of Café Genevieve in Jackson, who is dreaming up recipes that are easy for kids to make.

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“We will be creating a cookbook of the various recipes that the kids loved, which will also contain ingredients that can be grown in Teton Valley,” says Hayes.

Currently, some of the gardens’ produce—like

potatoes,

squash,

and

onions—goes into the schools’ kitchen and is served at lunch in both Tetonia and Alta Elementary Schools. Last year, Alta kids prepared scalloped potatoes that were served at their annual Thanksgiving Feast. Hayes says the school also donated a huge amount of greens, squash, and sugar snap peas (more than 30 pounds!) to the Teton Valley Food Pantry.

Jenna explains the building progression of their garden, and how the experiSUMMER 2024

magazine 45

Mountain Roots now manages four school greenhouses and maintains thirty outdoor beds. They are serving nearly eight hundred kids in the region.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Hayes Swinney (above)

says the program has seen a lot of momentum over the past year. They received a $15,000 grant to build a garden and outdoor beds to serve both Driggs Elementary and Teton Middle School.

ence connects students and families: “It started with just a greenhouse,” she says.

“From there we added outdoor beds, and then compost bins and a storage shed.

Next, came a fence to keep the deer out, apple trees, and a bench and sitting area dedicated to Travis Gay.” (Travis, garden and sustainability educator, mother of three, and cherished community member, passed away in 2022 of cancer.)

Jenna says the school once offered summer gardening programs with varying levels of success. And now, they rely on volunteers to tend the garden each week in the summer in exchange for produce.

The surplus produce is then sold at the Alta Branch Library, and the money is used to buy seeds for planting in the spring.

“I feel like [the garden] enhances our sense of community,” says Jenna, “Some years we’re able to give to the food bank, and one year we gave to a family in need as part of our May Day celebration.”

46

magazine SUMMER 2024

Garden educators, school administrators, and past students all agree that their favorite part of the school garden is the harvest pizza party each fall, which, nostalgically, hasn’t changed much since I was involved.

“In the fall, as soon as the kids are back in the gardens, they harvest everything that is ready,” Hayes says. “The

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tomatoes, basil, onions, and carrots are prepped for the sauce. And then [the students] start the simmering process that is finished at home. The kids harvest the basil, and we make basil pesto in the food processor in the garden classroom.

Then, in early October, we bring out the mobile pizza oven and parent volunteers join us for the feast.”

Luke Brinker thinks school gardens are important in Teton Valley because, unlike his birthplace of California, kids here aren’t as accustomed to eating from a home garden unless they come from a farming family. “[Gardening in elementary school] has helped me realize the huge difference between the food at the farmers market and any other food,” he says.

“And of course, I loved the pizza parties because that was the reward. I still talk to my friends about how we use to make pizza at school.”

In addition to school gardens, Mountain Roots hosts a variety of sustainable living workshops throughout the year, like an edible plant walk, geared for adult learners. Learn more: mountainroots

“

We are passionate about transforming homes into beautiful and functional spaces. From home remodeling to custom fabrication services like welding, we can handle it all.

(208) 309-6636

tetoncontracting.com info@tetoncontracting.com

education.org.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 47

OUR NEIGHBORS

growing things

AFTER TESTING THE WATERS growing flowers while working at Canewater Farm, Zena Wolcott-MacCausland went out on her own last summer and started Basin Flowers, a cut flower farm based in Victor. On her quarter-acre lot she leases from Snowdrift Farms, Zena grows vibrant varieties like tulips, ranunculus, and bupleurum.

48

magazine SUMMER 2024

BY JEANNETTE BONER PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARA AGNEW

Basin Flowers The ‘Tulip Queen’ cultivates flourishing market for local blooms Over the last several years, the local cut-flower market has been blooming, to say the least.

Wolcott-

“The first time we went on vacation I

MacCausland’s second full season as the

was twenty-six years old,” she says, laugh-

owner, operator, and grower-in-chief of

ing. “Growing up, we didn’t go anywhere.

Basin Flowers, one of a handful of spe-

That was their work and their passion.”

This

summer

is

Zena

cialty farms sprouting amidst the Teton Valley agricultural community.

Like so many, after college Zena sojourned to the bigger mountains, follow-

“It sounds so ‘businessy,’ but com-

ing friends to the Tetons. She landed at

pared to vegetables, there is a potential to

the National Outdoor Leadership School,

make a higher amount per square foot,”

Teton Valley branch, before heading over

Zena says of the practice of peddling flo-

to the nonprofit Friends of the Teton

ral over fennel. “And when I think about

River.

living in a place that is so expensive, that factors into my business plan.”

After finding her hum in the valley, Zena also found Canewater Farm, a

Zena’s roots run deep into the dirt as

newly sprouted organic farm tucked into

she cultivates her own rows to hoe. She is

foothills on the south end of Teton Valley

the daughter of dairy farmers from New

owned and operated by Rafe Rivers and

England, where the hills roll endlessly

Ansley West Rivers. The farm relocated

and her parents still tap their own ma-

from Georgia to the Tetons in 2019.

ple trees that seep sap each spring. The

Zena quickly rose in the ranks at

sap, which begins as a low sugar, watery

Canewater, growing vegetables, manag-

substance, is boiled down to syrup. Zena

ing workers, and navigating the hustle

says it takes about forty gallons of sap to

and bustle of weekend farmers markets

make one gallon of syrup.

in the summer. It was at Canewater that

Growing up, Zena, now thirty-five,

her idea to tap into the flower market

worked on local vegetable farms after

took root. Growing a handful of flowers

tending to the dairy chores with her

one summer, she sold rustic bunches of

brother and sisters. Between pulling

blooms, wrapped in plain brown paper

weeds and milking cows, her childhood

and tied with a simple string, propped

worked to nourish Zena’s passion, plant-

next to the Canewater veggies.

ing the seeds that would shape her future.

“They committed their lives to it,”

And like bees around a honeypot, marketgoers wanted more.

Zena says, remembering her parents

“You can’t beat getting locally grown

raising cows and growing a huge garden

flowers,” Zena says. “They look better and

at their home, where they would pre-

last longer. When I look at flowers at the

serve “a ton of food.”

grocery stores, many of those flowers

EVEN THOUGH Zena refers to dahlias

as “total wimps” when it comes to getting frosted, she still loves to dabble in growing the symmetrical beauties.

Zena likes the challenge of growing these heat-loving blooms amidst the sometimes unpredictable Teton summers.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 49

WHILE THE SEASON may begin with

conditions that call for cold-weather attire as Zena harvests tulips (the first flower of the season to bloom), eventually Basin Flowers is graced with colorful varieties sprouting under the warm summer sun.

Sometimes she’ll have just a bunch of zinnias and at other times a mix of long stems and short stemmed flowers; pinks, greens, and purples mixing to offer a colorful celebration of the season.

are coming from insane distances. And

varieties such as bupleurum, agrostem-

there are so many different varieties that

ma, and ranunculus, also known as but-

just don’t ship well.”

tercups. (You can google these varieties,

By 2023, she branched out on her

or simply buy one of Zena’s bouquets and

own, giving life to Basin Flowers and

see for yourself how beautiful these cold-

finding her own plot—to rent, for now,

tolerant flowers can be.)

from Greg Collins and Sue Miller, owners

As the summer season warms and

of Snowdrift Farm. Zena leases less than

the sun grows higher and hotter in the

a quarter acre of ground that holds the

mountains, Zena likes to tap into heat-

rich soil where her Basin Flowers bloom.

loving flowers like zinnias and dahlias

Zena’s growing season, like for all

“Dahlias are total wimps,” Zena says.

She laughs when she looks at pictures of

“It doesn’t take much for those to get frost-

herself in June, wearing winter clothes

ed. But they are so beautiful and there is

while she cuts the hardy tulips that are

something special about the symmetry

usually the first flowers to sprout for the

of them that you have to just touch them.

season. Erika Eschholz, of Teton Full

They are not one that grows well here, but

Circle Farm in Victor, has dubbed her the

they are fun and they are a challenge.”

“Tulip Queen.”

50

magazine SUMMER 2024

for mixed bouquets.

high-elevation farmers, starts out cold.

Peril comes from all directions. Go-

“For the most part, I focus on cold-

phers launch subterranean attacks be-

loving flowers,” she says of her choosing

neath the plants. Wind and summer

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SUMMER 2024

magazine 51

thunderstorms can slay the snapdragons. But the soil on the south end of the valley is rich and naturally high in organic matter, Zena says, which is critical for growing and makes the hardships worth the effort.

“I’m not certified organic, but I use organic practices,” she adds. She feeds the soil with mixes of compost and doses of soil amendments like bone meal or alfalfa.

Zena admits that she is not a floral designer and she creates her bouquets for sale in no particular order. Some-

Providing our community with: School gardens Farm and garden education

Sustainable living workshops

times she’ll have just a bunch of zinnias and at other times a mix of long stems and

short

stemmed

flowers;

pinks,

greens, and purples mixing to offer a colorful celebration of the season.

“We’re a small, tight-knit community of growers,” Zena says of the flower-

Sign up for a workshop, get involved in our school gardens, and support our work!

farming community in Teton Valley.

www.MountainRootsEducation.org 91 E Little Ave, Driggs, ID

“You can’t beat getting locally grown flowers.

They look better and last longer.”

Better Pregnancies, Better Deliveries, Better Ever Afters.

World-Class Pelvic Wellness Courses, Streamable from the Privacy of Your Own Home.

Zena Wolcott-MacCausland “The market is expanding with more people moving here and for flowergrowers, we have a niche that we can tap into. We as farmers are more collaborative than competitive.”

Zena’s flowers can be found at MD Nursery in Driggs, at the Aspen Market and Persephone in the Westbank Center on the Teton Village Road north of Wilson, at Persephone Bakery and Cafe just off the Town Square in Jackson, and at the Jackson Hole Farmers Market in the summer. She also sells to cut flower

Learn more: @therealpelvicfloored www.pelvicfloored.com Kelly P Sadauckas, PT, DPT, OCS, WCS

farms and florists that do events like Red House Flowers in Victor. She plans to add more local outlets this summer; stay tuned for location details. As for the future? “It’s growing,” Zena says.

52

magazine SUMMER 2024

Teton River Float Guide Over 65,000 visitors recreate on the Teton River during the summer! With this many river users, everyone’s actions and choices while recreating add up. The river relies on your stewardship to ensure that the river ecosystem stays healthy for people, wildlife, and fish that call the river home.

AT THE RIVER ACCESS • Organize gear before approaching the water.

• At the boat ramp, keep smaller crafts to the side and leave a clear lane for boats with trailers.

• Use the restrooms before launching on the river.

ON THE RIVER

• Be courteous to other floaters and anglers.

• Bring clothes for all weather!

Afternoon thunderstorms and changing conditions are common.

• Remember, most of the land adjacent to the river is privately owned. Stay on the water or on cobble bars and beaches, but off surrounding private property.

ALL THE TIME

• Keep dogs under control. Dogs harassing wildlife are a threat to the Teton River ecosystem.

• Pack out all trash, including the proper disposal of human and dog waste.

Follow this river float guide to ensure you are a responsible steward of the Teton River.

Scan the QR code for a digital river guide and more information!

friends of the

Friends of the Teton River is working to restore and conserve the Teton River Watershed, ensuring a lasting legacy of clean water, healthy streams, and a thriving wild fishery.

Learn more about river restoration projects, innovative fisheries science programs, collaborative work with agricultural producers, and more at www.tetonwater.org.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 53

Teton Valley Rewards the Curious There is so much to explore and enjoy in Teton Valley this summer.

Our remote, rural valley may take a little extra effort to navigate, but the rewards are great.

Summer is a celebrated and popular time of year in Teton Valley. Here are a few tips for navigating peak season, while being a great visitor: •

Be early, for everything. Whether it’s hitting the trail or park or going out to eat, get there early and you’ll be amply rewarded.

•

Be self-sufficient. Carry water, snacks, extra clothing, and first aid supplies on your adventures.

•

Be prepared. Start at the Geo Center, Forest Service office, and local outdoor shops and load up on maps, guidebooks, and local intel.

•

Be patient, kind, and respectful

•

Drive slowly. As we like to say, you didn’t come here to be in a hurry.

•

Seek out local goods and be

Book your stay now!

of the people, animals, and ecosystem.

generous to the hardworking staff.

To find out more visit discovertetonvalley.com or yellowstoneteton.org Linda Swope

Enjoy your visit.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 55

56

magazine SUMMER 2024

HERALDS of the SEASON

BY KRISTEN POPE PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDA M SWOPE

Sandhill Crane Festival marks birds’ fall gathering in Teton Valley.

The sky was still dark when I pulled into the Teton Regional Land Trust’s parking lot. The forecast was gloomy with 40-degree temperatures and rain, but the cozy office was bubbling with enthusiastic birders ready to see sandhill cranes. People had traveled from as far away as California and Chicago for an early morning tour to witness Teton Valley’s annual spectacle of migratory cranes visiting en masse, as they do each fall.

The tour is part of the annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival, which takes place in mid-September when the cranes congregate in the valley to forage and fuel up before continuing their journey south for the winter.

We loaded up in two vans with expert guides, traveling on the western side of the valley to spots where we could see the cranes. At one stop, Hilary Turner, our guide, counted nearly 250 cranes—and said the day before she had seen around 140. Hilary is the program coordinator for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, which partners with the Land Trust on numerous projects, including wildlife-friendly fencing and collecting wildlife data.

Each standing up to four feet tall with a seven-foot wingspan, the cranes are incredible to watch while they feed, and mesmerizing when they dance. We watched through binoculars and spotting scopes as pair after pair of the massive birds faced each other, flapping, leaping into the air, dipping, and stretching their wings. They bobbed their heads up and down as they danced, making their distinctive call as their movements flowed.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 57

CRANE WATCHING

Tips

“They have that special kind of bu-

sons. We watched the sun peek through

gling call they make that we’ve all likely

the clouds, and a rainbow shine across

heard here in the valley at some point,”

the sky, as the snow-capped peaks and

Hilary says. “That’s a really iconic sound,

golden fall foliage set a background for

especially during fall migration.”

cranes and other wildlife. We spotted

Our other guide for the morning was

five moose, a coyote, and plenty of other

Michael Whitfield, a wildlife biologist

birds, including a Swainson’s hawk, as we

who helped found the Teton Regional

learned about the cranes, which stage

Land Trust in 1990 and went on to

in Teton Valley to eat their fill each fall

serve as the organization’s executive

before journeying south for the winter.

director for eighteen years. He is

They usually gather in the valley in Sep-

currently an elected official serv-

tember and remain until early October,

ing on the Teton County Board of

feeding on grain to prepare. They might

County Commissioners.

winter in Bosque del Apache National

“Their size and their flight

Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, or south-

and everything just entrances

ern Colorado, or a number of other loca-

people,” Michael says. “If you

tions in the southwest United States and

think about cranes around the

Mexico. They can fly hundreds of miles in

world, they’re considered in

a day, moving through the sky at twenty-

many places as sacred birds.

five to thirty-five miles per hour. Cranes

spot them. Keep a watchful eye when

That’s the case in Japan and a

also come to Teton Valley each spring,

you’re on the western side of the valley,

number of other places where

though generally in smaller numbers

looking in fields where they may be

different crane species are

than in the fall.

This fall, take some time to scan the skies—and fields and rivers—for our migratory sandhill cranes. Generally, they will roost in the river. Early morning and dusk are some of the best times to

foraging.

“Mornings and evenings are pretty stellar for crane watching,” Michael Whitfield, Wildlife Biologist

found.

Every night, sandhill cranes roost in

“I think of them in that

shallow water like that along the Teton

way for Teton Valley,” he says.

River, standing with their feet sub-

“They are the heralds of the

merged so they can hear the splashing

season. They tell us when it’s

of any approaching predators, giving

springtime and they tell us

them a signal to escape. The birds can

when it’s fall. The fall gather-

also cause conflict with farmers by eat-

ing, when they come here

ing their crops. In Eastern Idaho, they

in big numbers on their pre-

are hunted during the fall season, with

migration gathering, is almost

nearly six hundred tags available in 2023.

like a holy event.”

Cranes are listed as a Species of

Just as the leaves of as-

You’ll need to keep your distance so you don’t disturb the birds. Bringing along binoculars or a spotting scope is very helpful to observe the cranes and their behavior.

“They’re typically going to be a bit of a distance from the road,” Michael says, “and they’ll be out there not only foraging, but they’ll be doing some of their dancing and calling. So, if you’ve got a good spotting scope, it’s pretty fun to watch with that kind of equipment.”

58

magazine SUMMER 2024

pen

trees

transform

Greatest Conservation Need in Idaho by

from

the State Wildlife Action Plan of Idaho

summery green to autumnal

Fish and Game. In order to provide the

golden, orange, and red, the

cranes with food near their roosting

cranes’ distinctive calls in the

sites, the Land Trust runs the “Grain for

valley herald the change of sea-

Cranes” program, which pays farmers to

grow barley not to harvest, but for the

around 1,175 cranes. Working with partners and volunteers, the Land Trust also con-

cranes to eat. Working with partners,

ducts a ground count every year, and has averaged a peak fall count of 1,244 birds,

the Land Trust raises funds—including

though the organization emphasizes that these numbers are just a snapshot in time

proceeds from the Greater Yellowstone

rather than a comprehensive count.

Crane Festival—to subsidize grain fields in strategic areas within a mile or two of the cranes’ nighttime river roosts, before cutting them and letting them lay on the ground for the cranes’ benefit. Each year, the Land Trust aims to manage forty to sixty acres of grain for cranes in the valley, with each area carefully managed to comply with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations.

“There are not a whole lot of areas that have that kind of juxtaposition of

“Not a lot of other places have these massive congregations like we have.

Going out and being able to see a couple hundred cranes foraging in a grain field is a really cool thing.”

HILARY TURNER program coordinator

Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation

grains on the ground close to roost sites that can support large numbers of birds,” says Mandy Crane, outreach and events coordinator for the Teton Regional Land

Sandhill cranes can live between twenty and forty years, and many of the same

Trust. “So, that’s why it’s so important

cranes return each year. “They’re very long lived, and over the years, they learn where

in Teton Valley, and that’s why we try to

the special places are and return to them year after year,” Michael says. “One year I was

protect those roost areas and grow more

watching cranes, it was in springtime, and there was a crane that had been marked

grains.”

when it was just a youngster coming off a nest, and I saw it when it was thirty-five

It is difficult to estimate the exact

years old. This bird has traveled thousands of miles, many thousands of miles, in its

number of cranes that come through the

life during its annual migrations, but it always comes back to Teton Valley. That just

valley each year, but the Land Trust says

speaks to me of what a special place we live in.” Michael was able to identify the bird,

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service con-

using a high-powered spotting scope, thanks to its unique leg band.

ducts an annual fall count by airplane

Cranes are slow to reproduce, with typically only one young—called a colt—surviv-

for an area that includes Teton Basin.

ing per year. “It’s important that we protect those long-lived birds and recognize that

The average tally for this count has been

sensitivity,” Michael says.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 59

The 7th Annual

GREATER YELLOWSTONE

Crane Festival In order to raise awareness of the

poetry and music and photography, and

birds and celebrate them, the seventh

also sculptures, paintings, and drawings,

annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festi-

to put it all together to create a festival

val will be held September 18 through 21.

that celebrates cranes through both art

The celebration focuses on science and

and science.”

art, with proceeds going to help with lo-

The festival helps fund the Land Trust’s

cal sandhill crane conservation.

Greater

Yellowstone

Sandhill

In 2023, more than three hundred

Crane Initiative, which aims to protect

and fifty people attended the festival’s nu-

the cranes and their habitat. The Land

merous events, which included science-

Trust has been monitoring cranes in the

based talks; early-morning crane tours;

valley since 2003. The initiative includes

and a variety of art events, like a pho-

a variety of efforts, including partner-

tography workshop with artist and pho-

ships, habitat protection, strategic re-

tographer Linda Swope, and a crane-

source enhancement, and community

focused

awareness—hence the festival.

paint-and-sip

evening

with

Nicolette Maw. Other events included a

“We wanted to have opportunities

storytelling evening at Highpoint Cider

for people to see cranes and also to in-

led by the nonprofit Valley Voices focus-

crease the community awareness of the

ing on the theme of “migrations,” as well

number of cranes and how important

as a keynote speech by Daniel Collins, a

Teton Valley is to the cranes of the Rocky

migratory game bird biologist with the

Mountain population,” Mandy says.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in New

Seeing the cranes passing through

Mexico—where many of the cranes spend

Teton Valley each year is an incredible

their winters.

sight—one that makes people work even

There was also a screening of the doc-

harder to protect the species. Wildlife bi-

umentary Crane Song. That Saturday fea-

ologist Michael Whitfield recalls one of

tured an art fair with a variety of other

his most memorable crane encounters,

artistic activities and workshops for kids

which occurred more than forty years

and adults, printmaking, poetry, dance,

ago. He remembers the precise date: Sep-

drawing, and an art auction.

tember 26, 1982. He was on top of Mount

“The real focus of the festival has

Baldy when he saw the cranes.

always been this place where science

“All of a sudden here came waves of

and art can come together,” says Mandy

sandhill cranes starting their migrations,

Crane, outreach and events coordina-

these big groups of noisy cranes,” he re-

tor for the Land Trust. “It’s a blending of

calls. “They caught that little breeze from

science-based talks and tours, along with

the north, and they were riding it to Colo-

a really big focus on crane art. We have

rado and right at my elevation at 10,000

always tried to incorporate dance and

feet. That was pretty cool.”

60

magazine SUMMER 2024

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

& Events

September 18 – 21

PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE: SEPT. 18 Morning sandhill crane tour SEPT. 18 Evening film at Pierre’s Theatre SEPT. 19 Morning sandhill crane tour SEPT. 19 Evening crane viewing SEPT. 20 Morning sandhill crane tour SEPT. 20 Evening crane viewing SEPT. 21 Morning crane photography workshop with Linda Swope SEPT. 21 Evening Community Crane Art Celebration with dance performances and crane art and sculpture auction.

For times, tickets, and details, visit tetonlandtrust.org.

SUMMER 2024

magazine 61

Being

Participants,

Not Spectators

BY TOM HALLBERG ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEX NABAUM

62

magazine SUMMER 2024

PHOTO: LINDLEY RUST

Idaho’s growth in inclusive outdoor recreation reaches Teton Valley

SUMMER 2024

magazine 63

“Adaptive sports has evolved as the equipment has become more available, more capable, and more comfortable.”

NATE CAREY, Valley Adaptive Sports Executive Director

64

magazine SUMMER 2024

Options for people with disabilities to engage in outdoor recreation were once scarce across Idaho, but in the past two decades, organizations have emerged to support these athletes. Locally, Valley Adaptive Sports is bringing in new ways for athletes to enjoy all of the recreational choices in Teton Valley, in both summer and winter.

Joe Stone sat in his handcycle at the top of the

“For the past few years, we have partnered with

Bridger Gondola. It was June 2022, and I was in a gaggle

Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, Teton Adaptive,

of journalists there for the opening of Deepest Darkest,

and Valley Adaptive Sports (VAS) to facilitate adap-

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s intermediate, adaptive

tive group rides and clinics on our trails, specifically

downhill mountain bike trail. The adaptive athlete and

around the Wydaho Rendezvous Teton Bike Festival,”

mountain biking instructor was giving a lot of direc-

says Jill Gaylord, marketing director at the resort. “Wy-

tions, talking about side hits and where to shed speed.

daho has simultaneously grown to a point where we

“There are some really steep berms,” he said.

host the largest adaptive component of any mountain

“Watch out for the compression at the bottom.”

bike festival in North America.”

Compression? Wasn’t this an adaptive trail? I ad-

From the twelve-mile, adaptive-accessible South-

mittedly didn’t know much about adaptive biking

ern Valley mountain bike trail system near Victor to

and even less about accessible trails, but I’d assumed,

support from the relatively new nonprofit Valley Adap-

without much basis, that the ride would be a bit eas-

tive Sports, sit-ski lessons and adaptive-accessible bik-

ier than a non-adaptive trail. Journalists, professional

ing at Grand Targhee, and sled hockey games at Kotler

mountain bikers, and resort representatives followed

Ice Arena, the list of local options for adaptive athletes

Joe down a wide, machine-groomed trail that gave am-

is growing.

ple room for his three-wheeled steed. After a very fun

“Adaptive sports has evolved as the equipment has

banked turn, we regrouped: Ahead, a small step-down

become more available, more capable, and more com-

jump led into an extremely steep berm that dumped

fortable,” says VAS executive director Nate Carey. “Sled

riders full speed across an ephemeral creek rivulet be-

hockey, golf, bicycles, skis, swimming equipment, and

fore launching them off a lip and back into the trees.

more are now available like never before.”

“All right, follow me,” Joe yelled as he dropped in, careening into the turn and going three wheels in the

And advocates think the momentum will continue to build, starting with statewide access.

air over the lip. With dusty smiles, we followed through several more big turns back to the base area. Filled with small jumps, side hits, and technical sections (all with optional ride arounds), the trail was engaging whether you were on two wheels or three.

Access in Idaho

Muffy Davis never expected a ski-racing fall to

leave her in a wheelchair. “I always knew there was risk

Deepest Darkest is just one example of local enti-

ski racing,” she says. “But the idea of a life-altering in-

ties not just making space for athletes with disabilities,

jury was never even in my wheelhouse.” However, after

but making trails that are accessible to all.

crashing through the course-side fencing on a train-

This trail has been celebrated for working for ev-

ing run at the age of sixteen in the late 1980s, Muffy

ery type of rider, adaptive or not. Joe, the former ex-

sustained a back injury that left her paralyzed from

ecutive director of Jackson Hole-based Teton Adaptive

the waist down. A Sun Valley native, she rehabbed in

who now runs Dovetail Trail Consulting, was pivotal

Colorado, but when she returned home, skiing again

in ensuring the trail accomplished that goal. Joe’s con-

seemed out of the question.

sulting firm provides solutions for adaptive recreation

Options for adaptive sports at the time in Idaho

opportunities in national parks, resorts, and outdoor

ranged from limited to nonexistent. Muffy went to

hubs.

Winter Park, Colorado, for sit-ski lessons, but she fell

At Grand Targhee Resort, while the extensive

a lot and struggled, often ending up in a ski patrol to-

mountain biking trail system does not have a trail spe-

boggan. She left Idaho to attend college in California,

cifically designed and built for adaptive riders, most all

where she met instructor Marc Mast, who told her

of the gravity and cross-country trails are accessible

she’d been skiing on the wrong equipment for her in-

for adaptive equipment, the resort says.

jury. “What works for a double amputee is not going to

SUMMER 2024

magazine 65

work for a T5/6 paraplegic,” says Muffy, who went on to

and bouldering areas; a swimming pool; a Ninja War-

win seven Paralympic medals as a cyclist and skier. “In

rior-type course overhanging said pool; and outdoor

a lot of different sports, not all, it’s very sports-specific

areas with a variety of walking surfaces (think boul-

and it’s very disability-level specific.”

ders, uneven trails). Two other nonprofits use the cam-

In a fortuitous move, Marc came to Hailey for a

pus: Summit Hyperbarics and Wellness, a clinic that

summer and ended up moving to the Wood River

offers hyperbaric chamber treatments, and Mission43,

Valley, planting the seeds for the growth of adaptive

which provides programming for wounded veterans.

outdoor recreation across Idaho. Until then, people

Opened in November 2023, the fieldhouse, for now,

with disabilities didn’t have options in Sun Valley, or

isn’t a gym that adaptive athletes can pop in and out of.

anywhere else in the state. Marc’s expertise was the

Instead, it hosts group fitness classes and lessons with

missing piece. Muffy and others in the area started

adaptive instructors. “Our mission is really about em-

Higher Ground, an education nonprofit dedicated to

powering people through sport,” Heather says. “I think

adaptive athletes, with Marc as an instructor. At first,

sport is almost secondary, and it’s really the commu-

Higher Ground was a chapter of Disabled Sports USA

nity that’s the most important.”

(now called Move United), a nonprofit that promotes the growth of adaptive sports up through levels that include the Paralympics.

“It started in 1999,” says Jeff Burley, Muffy’s husband and Higher Ground’s director of compliance and advancement. “It was definitely behind the curve, compared to something like Title X.” Adaptive sports can take many forms. In areas with more facilities and larger populations, options might focus on court and field sports, like basketball or football, while in mountain towns choices skew toward outdoor recreation, including cycling, skiing, and climbing. No matter where they take place, adaptive programs exist in a collaborative web that relies on expertise, funding, and support from regional and national entities, especially in their early years. Higher Ground was part of Disabled Sports USA; it is now a juggernaut in its own right, leading hundreds of lessons a year for skiers, riders, and bikers, along with a thriving network of weeklong programs for veterans.

As evidenced by Muffy’s need to recruit Marc from California to Sun Valley two decades ago, Idaho has not historically had a robust network of such programs.

That’s changing, in both Teton Valley and the state’s largest population center, Boise. Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), a national nonprofit that promotes and facilitates adaptive sports by putting on camps and clinics and giving athletes grants for travel and lessons, now has an Idaho chapter.

“We’ve done a handful of court sports, but we really try to focus on the Idaho sports, if you will, which is outdoor recreation,” programs director Heather Lopez says.

The organization is housed in the new Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse, an adaptive sports colossus in Boise funded and built by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. In addition to a large gym with fitness equipment, the fieldhouse features rock climbing

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“Our mission is really about empowering peopl peo ple e through sport.”

HEATHER LOPEZ, Programs Director, Challenged Athletes Foundation

Adaptive reach in the valley

before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He’d envisioned ath-

That sentiment extends past CAF’s home in Boise

letes from around the state participating in a festival

all the way to a bitterly cold January 2024 day at Grand

of sorts, featuring equipment demos and clinics for in-

Targhee Resort. Buoyed by CAF’s funding and logisti-

structors and lessons for all types of adaptive athletes.

cal support, and a group of instructors from Higher

The weather, however, had other plans.

Ground, a dozen adaptive athletes descended on the

Blizzard conditions kept many from making the

resort for the Challenged Athletes Foundation East

trip at all, and below-zero temperatures made keep-

Idaho Ski Camp. They included Idaho Falls resident

ing wheelchair-bound skiers warm difficult, so Nate

Chris Hayes, who returned to the slopes for the first

trimmed the event to just one day. Despite the weather,

time in more than twenty years.

roughly a dozen athletes showed up for ski and snow-

The ski camp didn’t go quite as VAS executive di-

board lessons, mostly in the afternoon. Following

rector Nate Carey had planned. “This was supposed

lunch, Chris’ family wheeled him out to a Snow’Kart,

to be four days,” Nate told me as we gathered at the

a type of sit-ski with two levers that control a pair of

adaptive program building at Grand Targhee the day

skis; or, in a new model developed at the University of Utah, featuring sip-and-puff technology that would allow a person who is quadriplegic to control it using their mouth.

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“I would like to see Teton Valley continue to increase accessible recreation because this attitude benefits everyone.”

NATE CAREY Valley Adaptive Sports Executive Director

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Bundled up and with a helmet on, Chris sat patiently as Higher Ground instructors adjusted straps

Working toward equality

“I would like to see Teton Valley continue to in-

and checked his gloves. “This is your Ferrari for the

crease accessible recreation because this attitude

day,” Nate told him. Smiling nervously, Chris nodded

benefits everyone,” Nate says. “Trails and pathways are

in reply.

being improved, and we are expanding our recreation

In January 2001, Chris, then eleven, came down

offerings, our partnerships, and our equipment cache.

with the flu. The disease spread to his trachea, cutting

Everyone enjoys getting out in Teton Valley. We look

off airflow and depriving his brain of oxygen. He went

forward to being right there in the mix.”

into a coma for a month, and when he awoke, he had

People with disabilities in Teton Valley contend with

lost much of his ability to move and speak. For an ac-

snow on the ground half the year, which can make life

tive kid who skied, biked, and played many traditional

more difficult. And they have historically lacked servic-

sports, the change was earth-shattering. “Prior to get-

es like what VAS provides. Nate and the organization are

ting sick he wasn’t much of a spectator; he was a par-

continually working to change that.

ticipant,” says his dad, Tom. “Now he doesn’t get a lot

“I’d like this to be a yearly event,” he said at the Jan-

of opportunities anymore to participate, except as a

uary adaptive camp, despite the meteorological chal-

spectator.”

lenges. In just two years, Nate has broadened the scope

Flanked by his entire family and two instructors

of what VAS offers, buying cross-country skiing equip-

helping to clear the run and control the Snow’Kart,

ment, starting sled hockey in Idaho Falls and Victor,

Chris skidded hesitantly across the slope near the bot-

working with the Teton Rock Gym to buy specific har-

tom of the Shoshone Lift, finishing each turn to a stop,

nesses for inclusive climbing nights, and participating

learning the intricacies of the vehicle. His smile still

in the Wydaho Rendezvous Teton Bike Festival, which

looked nervous.

includes adaptive lessons and rides. It’s a big endeavor,

At the top of Shoshone, his family gathered—dad,

given that each sport requires its own equipment, and

sister, nieces, brother-in-law. “I want to ski with Chris,”

each type of injury might, as well, but the community

one his nieces yelled to anyone in her vicinity. And

has allowed Nate to steadily grow his stable of gear. “It’s

then he dropped. In a herky-jerky clump, the clan skid-

little baby steps,” he says, “but we’re really excited to

ded down Little Big Horn behind Chris, their iPhones

have all the support from several nonprofits that we’re

raised to capture their first run as an entire family in

happy to call partners.”

two decades. Through the broad, shallow expanse of

Running as an undercurrent throughout the work

the run’s middle, Chris picked up more speed, becom-

on adaptive sports in the valley and across the state:

ing comfortable with the turns. By the time he took the

a message of dignity and accessibility. As Nate says,

cat track to the lower section of Bobsled, one might

athletes with disabilities don’t necessarily want to be

have taken him for a celebrity as he linked flowy turns

an example of perseverance; rather, they just want to

while his family lined the run, cheering and snapping

enjoy the same activities that have drawn so many to

photos.

this area. They want lessons and equipment tailored

When he cruised past the maze to get back on the

to their injuries and bodies. They want bike trails like

lift, Chris was still smiling, but no longer nervously.

Deepest Darkest, ones that are wide enough for hand-

“Afterward, I was feeling pure joy as it felt so good to be

cycles, but engaging and fun enough to make a jour-

back in my former domain for an afternoon,” he told

nalist and avid mountain biker like me take notice.

me later in an email. “It had been at least twenty-three

They want to meet other athletes with disabilities, and

years since I last skied. It was an incredible experience.

some want the chance to enjoy the outdoors not in a

Although different, it was familiar, familiar in a way

group setting, but perhaps with just an instructor or a

that used to give me such joy, and doing it again made

friend.

me so happy.”

In other words, they want opportunity. With the progression of local nonprofits, expanded cutting-edge gear, and a statewide effort to create more resources, the opportunities are growing.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMRIN DENGEL

Old structure at the Breckenridge F arm 70

magazine SUMMER 2024

Celebrating families that have maintained working relationships with the land for more than a century Teton Valley has deep roots in agriculture. For decades, the open lands and pastoral foothills have supported acres and acres of potatoes, wheat, barley, and hay, or been grazed by herds of cattle and sheep—a contrasting complement to the towering peaks that surround the basin, beckoning locals and visitors alike to explore the many trails and slopes. From Tetonia to Victor, farmers and ranchers have found ways to stay fruitful amidst decades of development.

And it’s no small feat. In the latest agricultural census, Idaho reported a loss of nearly 150,000 acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022. But while the landscapes and demographic makeup of the area are changing, some local families continue in the ways of their ancestors, having worked the same land for more than a hundred years.

To honor this legacy, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Idaho State Historical Society created the Idaho Century Farm and Ranch program. This program recognizes the “importance and extraordinary contributions of Idaho’s farming and ranching pioneers by honoring those families who have farmed or ranched the same land their ancestors did one hundred years ago, and at least forty acres of the original parcel of land is still maintained as part of the present holding.” During the past thirty-four years, more than four hundred and fifty farms and ranches statewide have been designated Idaho Century Farms or Ranches by the two agencies. Nine of them are within Teton County.

Photographer Camrin Dengel captured images of three of these mainstay farms and ranches whose owners work the land, just as their forebears did.

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Driggs

Established: 1921 Original farmers: Virgil Penfold Current farmers: Paris & Janet Penfold Lineage: Paris is the great-grandson of Virgil Penfold. Paris’ son Wyatt works alongside his parents today.

“Change is the only thing that is constant,” says Paris and Janet. "If you are not ready to adapt and change directions when needed, you will not be a consistent generational operation. The hard part is teaching the next generation that if they are not innovative and willing to be involved, they may be the last generation [on the farm].”

Penfold Farms

“Our goal as the current generation is to leave the next generations something better; and something that can be continued for the next one hundred years.”

Paris & Janet Penfold

The beauty of the harvest

ora (left) Maria and Felipe Zam Penfold with Paris and Janet 72

magazine SUMMER 2024

ark

A recognizable landm

a

Vibrant quino blooms

Carrying on with tr aditions, Felipe Zamora and Paris Penfold

Gene rat of fa ions mily

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Breckenridge Ranch Tetonia

Established: 1885

Original farmers: David Breckenridge Current farmers: David & Alene Breckenridge

Lineage: David is the great-grandson of the original David Breckenridge.

“Breckenridge Ranch has very di-

verse and unique qualities. It has the Teton River running through it, birds that live in uplands and wetlands, and some big-game animals. The location is unique because in drought years, we have the river bottoms that stay green for cattle pastures, and the upper land produces grass hay with sub-irrigation.

“Ranching is a way of life that we enjoy and it was a great place to raise kids.

enridge

David & Alene Breck

This ranch has a history of milk cows, sheep, horses, crops, and beef cattle.

Because of the nature of the soil, the most profitable venture was grass hay and beef cattle,” says David and Alene.

David

has

many

friends who ask him why he works so hard when he could sell the land and live a pretty easy life. David’s answer? “The land is part of our family.”

c Histori

Enjoying the 74

magazine SUMMER 2024

sunset

barn

“Having a Century Farm means generations of families, and extended family, working together to keep the land in the family, [keeping it] working and profitable.”

David & Alene Breckenridge

Farming with four-legged friends

ton views Iconic Te at work

Beef cattle in high SUMMER 2024

summer magazine 75

Mickelsen Ranch Ted & Shana Mickelsen

Tetonia

Established: 1918 Original ranchers: Canute Mickelsen

Eclectic Art

Current ranchers: Ted & Shana Mickelsen Lineage: Ted is the greatnephew of Canute Mickelsen.

“In the early 1900s, my grandpa Theodore Mickelsen and his brothers came to Teton Valley, Canute being one of them. My grandpa homesteaded 160 acres on the Teton River and Canute purchased a number of acres from John Moffatt, my 40 acres being part of that purchase,” Ted says. “[To adapt to the changing world] Shana and I both worked jobs to supplement our income and keep operating our property.

Black Baldy cattle

“What makes this land special is the views of the Tetons and its very productive soil.”

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Shana's

Barn

Life at the farm

The beauty of the West

“The ranch is my heritage to this valley and my ancestors.

It is a multi-generational family ranch and has been operated by my family for over one hundred years.”

Ted Mickelsen

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RUNNING COMMUNITY FINDS FOOTING ON THE TRAILS OF TETON VALLEY

BY MOLLY ABSOLON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIE ELLISON

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K

elly Bettner felt like pinching herself. Just a few hours earlier, she had slipped out of her house, leaving her three sleeping children at home with her husband, and headed to Teton Canyon, where she took off running up the trail to Alaska Basin. Now, eight miles later and more than two thousand feet higher, she stood next to an alpine lake surrounded by wildflowers and the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the Teton Range.

running. “I began to find joy in running again,” he says. “It’s hard to look at the top of a peak and not want to go there.

I love having the ability to get up in the mountains and to be inspired by the nature I get to experience.”

Michelino relocated to Teton Valley

Charged with a mission of connecting

with his girlfriend, Bri West, in 2020.

can be your morning run,” Kelly says.

one another and finding camarade-

When he first arrived, he found it hard

“When you live here, you get to do what

rie amongst the high-elevation trails

to meet people, especially other run-

people go on vacation to do, anytime you

throughout

Yellowstone

ners. But he quickly discovered that the

want.”

region, this informal and passionate

Strava app—a popular fitness tracking

group of individuals is helping more and

app and website that allows users to re-

more people discover the sport.

cord and share their activities, particu-

“When you live in Teton Valley, this

Kelly ran track and cross-country in high school and college, but it wasn’t un-

the

Greater

til she moved to Teton Valley seven years

Michelino Sunseri is a professional

larly focused on running and cycling—

ago that she began to trail run. Now, she

runner sponsored by the North Face. He

could be used for more than logging his

says, she’ll only run on roads if she has a

grew up running and went to college for

runs and keeping track of his training. It

friend who wants to do some speedwork;

cross-country and track, but by the time

also helped him make friends.

otherwise, she’s on trails. She likes to be

he graduated, he was burnt out.

“I found other people doing cool runs

able to run wherever she wants, at what-

“Where I went to college in Ohio,

in the Tetons on Strava,” Michelino says.

ever speed is comfortable, for as long

I was always running on concrete

“I’d send them a message, saying some-

she pleases. For Kelly, trail running is all

through suburbs,” Michelino says. “It

thing like, ‘Hi, I’m new to the area, would

about freedom and being in nature.

was not very inspiring.” He actually

you be down to go for a run together?’

And that seems to be the common

quit the sport for a few years after he

I actually made friends that way. That

thread that links the growing commu-

finished school, but then he moved to

kind of led to my idea of trying to put to-

nity of trail runners in Teton Valley.

the Lake Tahoe area and took up trail

gether a weekly group run.”

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“I found other people doing cool runs in the Tetons on Strava.

I’d send them a message, saying something like, ‘Hi, I’m new to the area, would you be down to go for a run together?’

I actually made friends that way.

That kind of led to my idea of trying to put together a weekly group run.”

- MICHELINO SUNSERI

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The resulting Wednesday night runs have been one way members of the

GREEN RIVER LAKES–GRANITE BASIN LOOP: 20.5-mile loop, 4,229 feet elevation gain

Teton Valley running population have found each other. Local races—Wrun for Wray and the Targhee Wildflower

The loop, which starts north of Alta, Wyoming, at South Leigh Creek, can be run in either direction. The trail ascends through coniferous forest, passes through meadows painted throughout the summer by wildflowers, winds along the shores of alpine lakes, and goes over a mountain pass. It can be hard to follow at times, so carrying a GPS and/ or map is critical to ensure you are on the route. The trail is often snowcovered in June and doesn’t get a lot of traffic, so go with a buddy to be on the safe side.

Trail Run, for examples—also provide

ASPEN TRAIL:

friends mid-run.

A popular trail that doesn’t venture too far into the mountains, the Aspen Trail is a fun roller that meanders through glades of aspen, popping out in a few places to give runners an expansive view of Teton Valley. The trail is particularly popular in the fall when the aspen leaves turn gold and the tread dries out.

right near my house,” she says. “She

4.9-mile out-and-back, 853 feet elevation gain

ALASKA BASIN:

16.2-mile route with a lollipop loop, 3,070 feet elevation gain Though the trail is very popular and can be crowded, especially on the weekends, it’s a classic area with spectacular views of the Tetons, abundant wildflowers, and enough challenge to keep most runners entertained.

MAIL CABIN TO MIKESELL:

10.8-mile point-to-point with car shuttle, 2,086 feet elevation gain The route starts with a steady climb out of the Mail Cabin Creek drainage then runs along a ridge west toward Oliver Peak. July and August are prime time for wildflowers along the ridgeline, and much of the run is through open meadows that offer views of the Palisade Mountains. The final descent is a little rocky and steep, dropping you quickly down to the Mike Harris parking area.

opportunities for people to meet other runners and find partners who move at similar speeds over similar distances. In the summer, local Hall of Fame triathlete Barb Lindquist hosts free running clinics at the high school track in Driggs, where runners congregate and find each other.

Kelly Bettner says she’s even made “I saw this woman running on a trail looked about my age, and she seemed to like to run for a long time like me, so I stopped her and made her be friends with me. We laugh about it now. She’s more of an introvert than I am. I was worried that I was coming on too strong, but I also thought, ‘What’s the worst thing that can happen? She says no?’”

Most trail runners like to run with a partner, a dog, or some kind of personal locating beacon in case something goes wrong. Running in the mountains is not without risk. Bears, moose, lightning, sudden weather changes, falls, and injuries are hazards that can be particularly dangerous when one is miles from the house or car, especially when running solo. That’s one reason weekly group runs have been a popular way to build community. Michelino says, on average, six to ten runners show up every Wednesday throughout the summer.

Overall, he says, approximately seventy people are part of the WhatsApp group— Teton Valley Mountain Runners—he uses to organize the weekly sessions.

Michelino does most of his competitive running in Europe in the fall. His time in the Tetons is about training and finding cool routes to explore. He likes to meet new, aspiring runners and is quick to emphasize that the group runs he organizes are not meant to be competitive.

“Running for me is a chance not to be competitive,” says Stacy Stamm.

“Trail running is about being outside and enjoying the natural world.

For me, it’s very meditative. I think it’s growing in popularity around here because people are moving here for the world-class trails.”

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“Running for me is a chance not to be competitive.

Trail running is about being outside and enjoying the natural world.

For me, it’s very meditative.

I think it’s growing in popularity around here because people are moving here for the world-class trails."

- STACEY STAMM

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“Granted, it’s a really short season, but there are tons of incredible trails in

SPITFIRE ULTRA TRAIL CHALLENGE

Menan, ID (North of Idaho Falls) April 20 55K, 30K, 12K, 5K trail run Menan isn’t exactly local, but it’s a popular warmup run for Teton Valley runners who are still limited by snow on trails here.

WRUN FOR WRAY TARGHEE HILL CLIMB

Grand Targhee Resort, Alta, WY June 22 Held at Grand Targhee Resort, this roughly three-mile run goes from the bottom of the Dreamcatcher Chairlift up 1,840 feet to the top of Fred’s Mountain following the Bannock Trail.

WILDFLOWER TRAIL RUN

Grand Targhee Resort, Alta, WY July 6 Half-marathon or 10K trail run The course follows Grand Targhee’s extensive singletrack trail network through fields of wildflowers and aspen glades to the top of Peaked Mountain and includes spectacular views of the Tetons.

CIRQUE SERIES

Grand Targhee Resort, Alta, WY August 24 7.1-mile trail run Part of a mountain race series held at six ski resorts located in Alaska, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, Grand Targhee’s race climbs 2,212 feet from the base area to Mary’s Nipple and over to Peaked Mountain, before descending back down.

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they have with a friend as it is about how fast they move.

the area,” Stacy says. “My favorite trails

“I think everyone can be a trail run-

are the ones that go through varied ter-

ner,” Stacy says. “If you run a little while

rain, like the Green River Lakes–Granite

on a hike, you are a trail runner. A lot of

Basin Loop. You start running through

us walk uphill, jog on the flats, and run

tree cover, then hit fields of wildflowers,

downhill. It’s really not about speed. It’s

until you get up into the alpine. It’s in-

about getting outside, getting exercise, go-

credibly beautiful, and you can get really

ing to beautiful places, and feeling good.”

far quickly when you run.”

Megan LaTorre began jogging a few

Stacy emphasizes that the trail run-

miles a few days a week for exercise as

ning community is welcoming and non-

an adult. But then she and her husband

exclusive. People might be intimidated

started a family, and for a while she felt

by the image we tend to have of skinny

like she was either pregnant or breast-

runners in tiny shorts with little more

feeding, so the running stopped. Her

than a water bottle dashing past them

family moved to Teton Valley in 2016,

on a trail deep in the mountains. And

and for a couple of years, she was ab-

certainly, Teton Valley has those kinds of

sorbed in kid world. Then, as the chil-

athletes, but it also has people who walk

dren became less dependent, she start-

more than they run, and for whom a trail

ed going on trail runs and quickly fell in

run is as much about the conversation

love with the activity.

“I struggle to call myself a runner,”

information about different trails and

Megan says. “It’s classic imposter syn-

techniques. One time she was in the

drome. I’m slow. I haven’t run all my life.

parking lot at the base of the Aspen Trail

Then I remind myself that I ran a 10K, two half marathons, and climbed the Grand in a five-month period. I am a runner.

“It’s almost like going to church for me,” she adds. “Trail runs are the only time I can truly disconnect.”

Megan says that she was initially intimidated by other trail runners—“the tiny, stick-like gazelles” you see dashing through the mountains—but she’s learned that the trail running community is welcoming to all types of runners.

“People don’t care if you are fast or slow,” she says. “They just love that you

“People don’t care if you are fast or slow.

They just love that you are out there running.

They love running, and love that you love it, too.”

Megan says she’s been amazed at how willing people are to share tips and

who appeared to be an elite runner descended the trail. She asked him how the trail surface was that day, and he ended up talking to her for nearly twenty minutes about running, the trail, shoes, you name it. Everything running.

“There are really educated, really elite people around here who are happy to share with you,” she says. “People have been so supportive. There’s one woman who is a sponsored athlete who’s taught me so much about training, but she never would have told me about herself if I hadn’t asked. That’s just indicative of this

are out there running. They love running, and love that you love it, too.”

getting ready for her run when a man

- MEGAN LATORRE

community. People like to help out. They like that people are having fun running.”

Michelino appreciates that everyone who is a part of the local running community has a different background, approach, and reason for getting out on the trails.

“For me personally, trail running is about the freedom to go places on foot that other forms of transportation can’t take you,” he says. “Some people may be inspired by losing weight or feeling better by getting into shape. Some just want to be out in nature. All of those reasons are awesome.

“But one barrier for a lot of people is there can be danger involved—bears, injuries, weather—that’s why having a group where you know other people are out there, even if you are running at your own pace, can give people the confidence to do a trail run when they might not go on their own.”

To join the Teton Valley Mountain Runners group, visit Michelino's website, tetontrailcoach.com, and click the Teton Valley Mountain Runners tab for a direct link to the WhatsApp group. Michelino and other members of the group are excited to see enthusiasm growing to get out on the trails, in whatever capacity works for each runner.

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COMPASS POINTS

field notes

ALTHOUGH SMOKE

can come from nearby fires, the smoke we experience in Teton Valley often blows in from wildfires hundreds of miles away. For instance, smoke from 2023 fires throughout Canada sent a mass of unhealthy smoke to Idaho.

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BY KRISTEN POPE

Smoke Season Navigating the inhales and exhales of unpredictable summer air quality When a thick layer of wildfire smoke settles in Teton Valley, it obscures mountain views, leaving a haze. Sometimes, the smoke is thick enough to taste and feels gritty on the tongue.

It can leave people coughing, with aching lungs and itchy eyes, among

of what’s going to happen with wildfire growth.”

other symptoms. The smoke can come

In Teton Valley, the smoke season can

from nearby, but more often, it blows

vary greatly, with some years like sum-

into the valley from fires hundreds of

mer 2023 light on smoke, while other

miles away.

years leave the valley socked in for longer

The smoke we see in Teton Valley is

periods of time. “We’re having longer fire

dependent on large-scale wind patterns,

seasons … and we’re seeing an increase in

as well as on the weather. Paul Corrigan,

smoke because we’re having those lon-

the Intermountain Region Smoke Coor-

ger fire seasons,” says Jay Pence, District

dinator for the U.S. Forest Service, works

Ranger for the Driggs-based Teton Basin

to analyze the air-quality impacts of

Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee

fires, using technology to observe, fore-

National Forest.

cast, and mitigate smoke impacts.

And the fire season effects stretch

When forecasting smoke, Paul needs

far beyond our region. Smoke can travel

to know how much smoke he thinks will

thousands of miles with the winds, and

likely be produced from a fire based on

smoke in Teton Valley can come from

several factors, such as the available fu-

California, Oregon, Washington, Canada,

els, precipitation, winds, and humidity,

and beyond. When it arrives in Teton

as well as the likelihood of containment

Valley, local conditions can trap it in the

or explosive growth. He uses heat detec-

area longer.

tion satellites to help learn how hot a fire

“If there’s an inversion layer of warmer

is burning. He also needs to be able to in-

air up above the surface, that can act like

terpret models and know how the wind

a lid and just keep the smoke in the valley

patterns are likely to carry the smoke

for a month,” says Bruce Mason, weather

over the course of the coming days.

blogger for Teton Valley News. Bruce has

“It’s challenging because we’re work-

lived in Teton Valley for more than eigh-

ing in a really dynamic system,” Paul

teen years. The unofficial weatherman

says. “That’s the hardest part about fore-

for the area, he runs the popular Teton

casting smoke. You do not just need real-

Valley Weather Facebook page and keeps

ly good weather forecasts, you also need

everyone abreast of everything from win-

to use your best judgment or prediction

ter storms to potential poor air quality. He

WHILE SOME YEARS are lighter on smoke than others, the increase in wildfire season length adds to the prevalence of smoke felt throughout the summer.

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says in 2016, the Tie Canyon Fire by Pine Creek Pass created the thickest smoke he’s seen in the valley. “It looked like a thick fog as it rolled in,” he says.

Whether the smoke comes from near or far, it can be hazardous to breathe in.

“Depending on exactly what’s burning, the smoke can contain a lot of different particulates, a lot of different chemicals— and they’re not good for you,” Bruce says.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to report air quality. It ranges from zero to 500, with lower numbers reflecting better air quality. A color scale accompanies the numbers, ranging from “green” good air to “maroon” hazardous air quality.

When the AQI is below fifty, it is considered “good” air, indicated with green.

The 51 to 100 range is “moderate” (yellow), while 101 to 150 is orange and “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Red indicates the 151 to 200 range, which is considered unhealthy for everyone, followed by the “very unhealthy” purple range from 201 to 300. “Hazardous” is the highest range (301+) with maroon indicating a “health warning of emergency conditions.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wildfire smoke can be harmful to anyone, but is especially dangerous for people with a number of health conditions, includ-

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magazine SUMMER 2024

PEOPLE CAN IMPROVE indoor air quality by taking measures to clean or filter it with an air purifier.

According to the CDC, wildfire smoke can be harmful to anyone, but is especially dangerous for people with lung or heart issues.

Be Smoke

Aware Since the Air Quality Index (AQI) can change quickly, it’s vital to know how to check the air-quality conditions. “Air quality can change rapidly even over the course of a few short hours or even minutes,” says Paul Corrigan, Intermountain Region Smoke Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service.

While a quick glance can tell you if there’s heavy smoke in the air, several websites provide far more detailed information.

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• If you smell smoke or see smoke, consider restricting your outdoor activities.

• Smoke effects increase substantially with strenuous or prolonged activity outdoors.

• Keep in mind that air quality can change rapidly at different times during the day due to wind shifts. It is important to monitor the smoke throughout the day in your area and make plans for outdoor activities accordingly.

• Many weather apps also include air-quality information.

ing lung and heart issues, as well as the young, old, and pregnant.

“I do think it is important to talk to your medical provider if you are a sensitive person, and to just make sure you follow their direction,” Jay Pence says.

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The CDC urges individuals to prepare for fire season by planning evacuation SUMMER 2024

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“It’s important that we recognize that people need to go outside, whether their job requires it, or you need to walk the dog, or you need exercise yourself,” Paul says. “So, trying to find those times of day when the air quality is better is a great option. You certainly can limit your intake of air pollution by wearing an N95 respirator mask.”

“Depending on exactly what’s burning, the smoke can contain a lot of different particulates, a lot of different chemicals—and they’re not good for you.”

Bruce Mason Teton Valley Weather THE SMOKY HAZE makes for an eerie sunset.

Large particles of smoke disrupt wavelengths of light, causing the reds and oranges to be more vibrant.

Since so many fires are humancaused, Bruce also points out one way we can all work together to reduce the impact of smoke season. “The main thing, I think, is to just be really careful and responsible with fire during fire season, and that’ll solve many problems.” he says.

“Listen to Smokey Bear.”

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magazine SUMMER 2024

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magazine 91

COMPASS POINTS

over the hill

HELD SEPTEMBER 5 THROUGH 8, the Western

Design Conference brings together more than one hundred artists from a variety of genres, from leather crafters to jewelers to furniture makers. This celebration of all things American West takes place at the Snow King Events Center in Jackson, Wyoming.

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magazine SUMMER 2024

BY KATE HULL

Western Design Conference Celebrating the best of the West from furniture to fashion

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF WESTERN DESIGN CONFERENCE; CHAIR, SR WOODWORKING

Wooden accent chairs with a mid-century modern style; timeless cashmere knitwear with crystal embellishments; statement jewelry made with naturally sourced gems; bespoke leather handbags—these, and so much more, are at the heart of the Western Design Conference Exhibit + Sale.

A four-day juried exhibit and sale

festive, inspiring, and invigorating. Not

held at the Snow King Events Center in

to mention, it is in your backyard and

Jackson, Wyoming, the Western Design

people travel from all over the country to

Conference

attend.”

(WDC)

brings

together

more than one hundred artists—interior

Every artist displaying at WDC is se-

designers, furniture makers, architects,

lected by a jury of renowned experts, and

fashion designers, leathermakers, jewel-

more than $20,000 in cash is awarded

ers, and others—for a celebration of the

to handcrafted works in leather, metal,

breadth and dynamic nature of the style

accents, woodworking, jewelry, and fash-

and spirit of the West.

ion. While WDC celebrates the West, the

The thirty-second annual conference

influence of what encompasses west-

takes place this year from September

ern style is not limited geographically.

5 through 8. As always, it is a signature

In 2023, artists came from twenty-eight

event of the renowned Jackson Hole Fall

states.

Arts Festival, which caps the summer

“We love to see how western trends

season with a ten-day celebration of art

have influenced people over the years,”

in the Tetons. And for the four days of

says Mollie Wetzel, the auction director

WDC, the Snow King Events Center be-

who has been a part of WDC since 2012.

comes a hub of all-things American West,

“So often people think of western cou-

from the craftsmanship on display to the

ture and western fashion as rhinestones

community that gathers to celebrate and

and cowboy boots, but there is so much

support the artists.

more to it. Western culture is now popu-

“No matter your age or interests,

lar throughout the world, from architec-

whether western or contemporary, this

ture and interior design to jewelry and

is your not-to-miss event of the summer,”

fashion.”

says Allison Merritt, executive director of

While every year brings a fresh take

the Western Design Conference. “It is so

on each maker’s collection, WDC wel-

DURING THE THREE-DAY EXHIBIT AND SALE, patrons can shop direct-to-consumer and meet the artist behind each one-of-akind piece. The event begins with a fashion show on September 5, a favorite of the event and a great way to get early access to shopping.

SUMMER 2024

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The Teton Valley Music Alliance The Teton Valley Music Alliance (TVMA) connects the community with our amazing local musicians, artists, and music instructors, as well as the venues to catch acts live.

comes back returning artists who have garnered a robust following and make the event a family of artists and aficionados. New artists, designers, and exhibitors quickly join the ranks as regulars, and often attendees feel the same way.

Stephen Rosini, maker behind the functional art furniture company SR Woodworking, is participating in his second Western Design Conference this fall.

Based in Salt Lake City, Stephen crafts handmade custom furniture inspired by

Stay in tune and follow us for the upcoming musical events in the valley and to connect with our musicians!

Triple Lindy

TVMusicAlliance.com | TVMusicAlliance@gmail.com

mid-century and contemporary designs.

“I love clean minimalistic designs that are sleek but bold,” he says. “I am drawn to furniture where your eye moves around the piece, so most of my designs are playful.”

He was attracted to the event because of the emphasis on functional art.

“This show really puts functional art

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light alongside other incredible makers,” he says. “You see everything from contemporary to western design—there are so many styles of work that are made to the highest of standards.”

The event kicks off with the Preview Party and Fashion Show held on September 5, giving patrons a first-look opportunity to shop and enjoy the show. The styles highlighted are quintessentially

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WDC and modeled by community members, anchoring the special night as a local’s favorite.

For the following three days, the exhibit and sale allow for direct-toconsumer shopping for one-of-a-kind

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magazine SUMMER 2024

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WESTERN DESIGN CONFERENCE

Pamela T. Parkins pam@parkinslaw.com

and furniture makers right in the spot-

pieces. However, one-of-a-kind does not always mean expensive.

“The fashion show is an opportunity to have a first look at the entire Exhibit and Sale, and a chance to shop,” Allison says. “There is great food, a full open bar, signature cocktails, and it’s a festive night out, whether it is as a couple or with a big group of friends.”

The roots of WDC are in the art of craftsmanship. The event was founded in Cody, Wyoming, by a group of artisans aiming to celebrate and promote artists working in historical American craft methods. WDC moved to Jackson Hole in 2007 when Nancy McCulloughMcCoy, publisher emeritus of Teton Valley Magazine, purchased the event with Kevin Olson from Teton Media Works, the publisher of the Jackson Hole News& Guide. Allison Merritt, executive director, has been with WDC since it first came to Jackson and continues the strong comALLISON MERRITT first joined Western Design Conference in 2007 when the event was moved from Cody, Wyoming, to Jackson Hole.

For her, what makes this event so special is the artists.

“It’s the people who make this event so special. Each year there is renewed energy and camaraderie.”

Allison Merritt Executive Director, Western Design Conference

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mitment to western arts in Wyoming while expanding the reach of the show.

“It’s the people who make this event

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so special,” Allison says. “Each year there is renewed energy and camaraderie. The uniqueness and quality of everyone’s work coupled with the genuine love for what they do brings return buyers year after year. We work to add new components like this year’s design lecture series and the WDC Lounge.”

“It’s amazing, the people who come together for this event,” Stephen Rosini adds.

And while this is a once-a-year event, Allison is now providing more opportunities for patrons to peruse goods from

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WDC artists. This past November, WDC partnered with the Jackson Hole Art Auction (JHAA) to spotlight artists from SUMMER 2024

magazine 95

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Retail space & coffee shop Tribe Art Gallery

Featuring the Fine Art of owner and artist Michele Walters and seasonal visiting artists.

1st Friday Art Walk Series JUNE 7: 2nd Annual “Ripples on the Teton.”

Artist Invitational featuring works inspired by the Teton River benefiting Friends of the Teton River.

JULY 5: “Eye of the Beholder, A Photographic Journey” by St. Paul-based photographer Jared Arvin. Jared will be sharing his distinct creative vision of our one-of-a-kind landscape.

“Ripples on the Teton,” June 7

Steamroller Printmaking Art Exhibition, Sept. 14

SEPTEMBER 14: 2nd Annual Steamroller Printmaking Art Exhibition. Street Art Party.

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magazine SUMMER 2024

“Eye of the Beholder” by Jared Arvin, July 5

the event with a year-round show inside the gallery space. The gallery, located on Broadway, currently focuses on furni-

Building Better Communities Together

ture makers Henneford Fine Furniture, SR Woodworking, How Kola Furniture, Nordberg Furniture, and work by Many Tears and Integral Thread.

“The team at JHAA works directly with interior designers and the public alike, so they can source this collection throughout the year,” Allison says. “It is mainly furniture and items for the home, but there is a vision for artist trunk shows and special events down the line.”

Whether you’re a first-timer or a returning fan of WDC, get ready for an unforgettable look into the wide and wonderful world of western design.

Maybe you’ll leave the show with a oneof-a-kind find.

Western Design Conference Schedule of Events Preview Party + Fashion Show

Thursday, September 5 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Purchase VIP tickets for reserved seating. Early entry into the Exhibit + Sale and a first glance at the one-ofa-kind creations in furniture, fashion, jewelry, home, and lifestyle accessories. Shop and enjoy a runway fashion show and live auction with local culinary creations and signature cocktails.

Exhibit + Sale

We live here. We work here. We play here.

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Friday, Saturday, and Sunday September 6, 7, and 8 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The preeminent exhibition of the finest western design in the world—from cowboy to contemporary. Meet the makers and shop direct at every price point from more than one hundred artists.

Concessions by Spoons Bistro and complimentary daily happy hours begin at 2 p.m.

Design Excellence Awards are held on Friday at 2 p.m.

SCAN n MORE INFORMATION

To purchase tickets, visit westerndesignconference.com.

SUMMER 2024

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COMPASS POINTS

trail talk

THE SOUTH FORK of the Snake River is celebrated as one of the premier world-class fisheries in the Lower 48. WorldCast Anglers South Fork Hilton Overnight fly fishing adventure takes anglers on a one-night, two-day fishing getaway to experience this stretch of water while they enjoy the luxury of solitude.

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magazine SUMMER 2024

BY TOM HALLBERG PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRAD BONER

The South Fork Hilton Finding the luxury of solitude on the riverbank Anglers from around the world travel to fish the South Fork of the Snake River. On the WorldCast Anglers South Fork Hilton Overnight fly fishing adventure, you can spend a night in luxury on the banks of that renowned fishery.

Precious are the days when you un-

dating back two decades, long enough

tether yourself from the world and be-

for WorldCast Anglers guides to have

come absorbed in the swish, flick, swish,

honed the experience and developed a

flick of the fly rod. Imagine this: The sum-

loyal following of customers who return

mer sun is about to crest the gentle hills,

every year for a valuable reset.

the predawn twilight chasing out the

Take Ray Thompson, who took his

black, starry sky. You wake in a canvas-wall

first trip to the Hilton in August 2008.

tent, stirring in a feathery bed. Cotton-

His wife bought him a trip for his fiftieth

wood leaves rustle in the slight wind that

birthday, sending him with his father, son,

accompanies the warming of the earth.

and brother-in-law. “It was just a magical

You wake from a dream of casting

couple of days,” Ray says, “and we’ve been

from a drift boat into smooth, riverine

going back just about every year or some-

waters and catching a native cutthroat

times a couple times a year since.”

trout. But that dream is actually a memo-

Taken literally, the word Hilton

ry of the day before, and a vision of what’s

evokes an image of a comfy hotel, one

to come. That idyllic, no-computers, lots-

that can range into the realm of luxury.

of-trout reverie is reality on the WorldCast

Taken with a small grain of salt, the

Anglers South Fork Hilton Overnight trip,

tongue-in-cheek name suggests a level of

a one-night, two-days-of-fishing getaway

ease and comfort not always associated

that doesn’t require you to rearrange your

with river trips, let alone ones that add

whole summer around executing it.

camping in the mix.

“People get this great, compartmen-

Starting at the WorldCast Anglers’

talized camping experience with incred-

fly shop in Victor, Hilton-goers can grab

ible fishing, food, and service in a remote

the flies and gear they need before be-

area, then they go enjoy restaurants and

ing whisked over Pine Creek Pass via

amenities in the greater Jackson Hole

Highway 31 to Swan Valley, a quick half-

region the next day,” says Mike Dawkins,

hour drive away. Most often, they put in

president of WorldCast Anglers.

on the South Fork of the Snake River at

The Hilton is a long-running offering,

A GROUP OF ANGLERS settle

in for dinner and relaxation at the remote South Fork Hilton camp, tucked away off the riverbank, after day one of world-class trout fishing.

the Spring Creek Bridge boat ramp. For SUMMER 2024

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those unfamiliar with

the

South

Fork, it’s a worldclass fishery for brown,

rainbow,

and cutthroat trout that has attracted global luminaries from politics, business, and more.

(Comedian and latenight host Jimmy Kimmel even owns the South Fork Lodge, which the WorldCast Anglers float passes.)

The agenda for day one is simple: Fish, enjoy a big riverside lunch, fish, arrive at camp. Camp life consists of happy hour, dinner, campfire, bedtime. Day two is more of the same: breakfast, fish, riverside lunch, fish, home. Where the magic happens in that seemingly simple itinerary is the quality of each piece.

Start with the fishing. To hear about a world-renowned trout river and luxury overnight, one might assume the trip caters to those who tie their own flies and study entomology to learn hatch cycles. It

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The canvas wall

tents at the South Fork Hilton camp; chef Jake Bray cooks up western-style fare for dinner; the tucked-away Hilton camp that is inaccessible by road.

“People get this great overnight camping experience with incredible fishing and food and service in a remote area.”

Mike Dawkins President, WorldCast Anglers

does. However, WorldCast Anglers guides can also tailor the experience to the uninitiated. Ray has been out with groups

spend the night in that rimrocked area

well-versed in their river knowledge, but

most anglers simply pass through. And

he said taking newbies out on the Hilton

they do so in style. Camp consists of five

trip brings a special level of satisfaction.

wall tents with a pair of beds in each one,

“Usually, I’m sitting in the back

a kitchen/eating area, and a campfire

watching a friend or family member

pit, all connected by a maze of trails that

hook up their first-ever fish in the midst

gives the place an air of privacy. “It makes

of this magical scenery,” Ray says. That

it feel a little bit more intimate than if it

landscape he is referring to is the South

was just like a big camping field,” Mike

Fork Canyon, an inaccessible-by-road

says. Clients’ goal at camp is relaxation.

section of river hemmed in by cliffs and

Hors d’oeuvres and drinks are served

lined with cottonwoods, firs, and pines.

post-fishing, followed by a western din-

Once the fishing is done and the drift

ner of steak, starch, and sweets for des-

boats skim into camp, Hilton attendees

sert. Those looking for a quiet evening SUMMER 2024

magazine 101

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TOP Chef Jake Bray preps hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and dessert for camp. BOTTOM Mike Dawkins, president of WorldCast Anglers, enjoys a day on the South Fork.

“It was just a magical couple of days, and we’ve been going back just about every year.”

Ray Thompson can escape the hubbub of camp and sip a glass of wine on the deck of their abode.

Evening in the canyon, when the rest of the boats have passed by or made

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camp, is one of the trip highlights. Sure, you’ll catch a lot of fish, get better at casting, and eat delicious food, but the sheer time spent in the roadless, secluded canyon might be the biggest draw. That chance to unplug and watch the twilight

Designed by

disappear through the leaves of the cottonwoods is, after all, the sort of thing we all need more of in this frenetic world.

As Mike says: “You sort of step back, take a deep breath, and you look around and know you have the place to yourself.”

Book Your Adventure

New website coming soon!

Prime summer months carry the highest demand, and WorldCast Anglers recommends interested individuals plan their fly fishing adventures as soon as possible.

Shoulder season (June & September) openings are more readily available.

Visit TetonValleyMagazine.com 102

magazine SUMMER 2024

VISIT

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magazine 103

COMPASS POINTS

out below

IDAHO IS HOME to thirty state parks scattered throughout the state. They range from parks with pristine lakes to those protecting lush forests; from cliff-lined rivers to immense sand dunes.

104

magazine SUMMER 2024

BY MICHAEL MCCOY

Rocks, Water, and Sand This trio of state parks hints at Idaho’s endless diversity The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation’s mission is “to improve the quality of life in Idaho through outdoor recreation and resource stewardship.”

This seems a rather mundane way of putting it, when you look at all the agency has to offer.

In fact, to declare that Idaho boasts quite a variety of state parks is like say-

Massacre Rocks State Park Sugar beets and a prehistoric splasher

ing the Kansas City Chiefs are a pretty

PHOTOS: BRUNEAU DUNES AND BEAR LAKE, VISIT IDAHO

good football team. Take just the following three—out of thirty choices—two

To get to Massacre Rocks you could

of which are just under 150 miles from

zip over to Idaho Falls and take Inter-

Victor, while the third is twice that far

state 15 to American Falls before con-

away. (Yes, Idaho is large, but consider

tinuing the ten miles to the state park.

that Priest Lake State Park is more than

But really, shouldn’t getting there be

600 miles away from Teton Valley, and

part of the adventure?

you need to traverse a big chunk of

So, consider taking the backroads

western Montana to make the shortest

route instead: Blackfoot to Aberdeen to

connection.)

American Falls via Idaho 39, which cuts

These three parks showcase 1) a Ca-

through some of the state’s richest agri-

ribbean-hued freshwater “sea” shared

cultural lands as well as a string of dots

50-50 with the state of Utah; 2) a river

on the map you might not have heard

and trails steeped in American pioneer

of. (Rockford? Pingree? Springfield?)

history; and 3) a desert sandscape sug-

During the fall, mountains of piled

gestive of the setting for a movie like

sugar beets hover above the roadsides.

Dune or Lawrence of Arabia. Each offers a

Roll down the windows of your rig and

fine selection of campsites, and the areas

breathe deep to inhale the earthy aroma

you’ll drive through to get to them dish

of harvest season.

up a splendid mix of Idaho’s landscapes and diversity of farm crops.

A STURGEON leaps from the water.

These giant fish with shark-like tails can be found in the Snake River at Massacre Rocks State Park near American Falls.

Massacre Rocks’ name reportedly derives from a jumble of boulders that form

Additional information on these

a narrow passageway that Oregon Trail

and other parks may be found at

and California Trail travelers squeezed

parksandrecreation.idaho.gov.

their teams and wagons through. ImagSUMMER 2024

magazine 105

ining that a band of American Indians lie waiting in ambush around every corner, pioneers applied the name Massacre Rocks to the area. Deep ruts marking those historic trails can still be seen in the park, which features nearly eight miles of hiking trails. Bicycling, rock

Bear Lake State Park Revelry amid the raspberries

To get to Idaho’s Bear Lake State Park—not to be confused with Utah’s nearby park of the same name—travel from Swan Valley, Idaho, southeast to Alpine, Wyoming, then continue south to Montpelier, Idaho, via either Star Valley, Wyoming, or Soda Springs, Idaho. Expect a beautiful drive whichever route you MASSACRE ROCKS STATE PARK, located

along the Snake River, is home to miles of hiking trails, a world-class disc golf course, and ample rock climbing routes. Visitors can also see remnants of the Oregon Trail from either end of the park.

choose. The park is about 15 miles south of Montpelier.

Backdropped to the west by the Bear River Range, this water-lover’s paradise is twenty miles long and eight miles wide, cleaved almost exactly in half by the Idaho–

climbing, a vertically challenging disc

Utah state line. The state park’s mile-long

golf course, and boating and fishing

Bear Lake North Beach offers a vast area

(with canoe rentals available) can be

for swimming and other water play, with

enjoyed, too. Nearly a thousand acres in

its gradual slope toward the middle of the

scope, the park also includes a great se-

lake. Sites at East Beach’s ultra-popular

lection of RV and tent camping sites.

On our most recent visit to the park, I was treated to the unexpected vision

Mountain Fawn Campground are available only by reservation, which can be

BEAR LAKE STATE PARK is famous for

made up to nine months in advance.

its Caribbean-like blue waters and its sand beaches, making it the perfect place for a day of lounging in the sun.

of an immense white sturgeon rocket-

With its sun-seeker vibe, this is not

ing out of the river and splashing back in.

the park to visit if you’re looking for

With a cartilaginous skeleton and shark-

peace and quiet. That, however, can be

like tail, these giants—which can grow to

found just north of the park at Bear Lake

Garden City, on the west shore of the

ten feet long and 400 pounds in weight—

National Wildlife Refuge, established in

lake just across the state line in Utah, is

have, in lieu of scales, five rows of bony

1968 to preserve resting and feeding hab-

deliciously renowned for its raspberry

plates, or “scutes,” reaching from gills to

itat for waterfowl and other migratory

milkshakes. The most popular spot to

tail. It’s not known for certain why they

birds. Its 18,000 acres comprise a pictur-

slurp one is LeBeau’s Drive-In, but a host

exhibit this occasional, energy-sapping

esque and tranquil (although sometimes

of other shake venues can be found. If

jumping behavior, but it’s hypothesized

honkingly loud!) mosaic of open water,

summer could be plucked from the vine

that it’s a form of communication that

wet meadows, cattail marshes, and sun-

and whipped up in a blender, this is what

helps maintain group cohesiveness.

baked uplands.

it would taste like.

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design design

Bruneau Dunes State Park

l o c a t within ed within

Sand grains and Syrah grapes

l o c a t within ed within

within

within

design design

RUSTIC • MOUNTAIN MODERN • WESTERN • TRADITIONAL • COMMERCIAL

This final park is the place to enjoy peace and solitude. The last time we

13 South Main Street • Victor, Idaho • 208.787.FEST (3378) RUSTIC • MOUNTAIN MODERN • WESTERN TRADITIONAL • COMMERCIAL 13 S Main Street • Victor, Idaho • •208.787.FEST www.festive-living.com • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm(3378) www.festive-living.com • Mon-Sat 11am - 5pm and by Appointment 13 South Main Street • Victor, Idaho • 208.787.FEST (3378) www.festive-living.com • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

visited, in October of 2019, we had the campground to ourselves. Nancy, our field spaniel Eddie, and I hiked to the top of the namesake dune, and ours were the only footprints in the sand to be seen.

To reach the park, avoid Interstates 15 and 86 and opt instead for the stellar drive between Idaho Falls and Mountain Home PHOTOS: MASSACRE ROCKS, TRIP ADVISOR; BEAR LAKE AND BRUNEAU DUNES, VISIT IDAHO

on US Highway 20. From Mountain Home, go south on State Highway 51, cross the Snake River, then go east on State Route 78 for a couple of miles before turning south onto the park entrance road.

Thanks to its relatively low, Idaho westside elevation of 2,470 feet above sea level, Bruneau Dunes boasts the longest camping season—virtually year-round—

TETON COUNTY TITLE Your title company for the past, present and future

18 N. Main St. Suite 300 Located inside the Colter Building

Driggs, Idaho

In fact, to declare that Idaho boasts quite a variety of state parks is like saying the Kansas City Chiefs are a pretty good football team.

Pictured (left to right) Landon Smith Escrow Assistant, Tiera Parker - Escrow Officer, Daryl Fauth - Ma nager, Ruth Corcoran - Title Officer (not pictured)

208-354-5050 We take our jobs seriously. When investing in a new home, a new site for your business, or your own Private Idaho ‘getaway’ you need to have peace of mind that the property is truly yours and that the closing is handled professionally. Please feel free to call us…we’re here to help!

TetonCountyTitle.com

SUMMER 2024

magazine 107

of any Gem State park. But, one may ask, from what point in the park was that official elevation measurement taken?

After all, it boasts the tallest singlestructured sand dune in North America, with a peak standing nearly 500 feet above the surrounding desert floor. You can hike up the dune and then run back down, or even rent a board at the visitor center for a unique “sand-boarding” experience.

But before you descend, stop and listen. What’s that sound you can’t hear?

Total silence is what it is.

This is also a true dark-sky place, explaining why Bruneau Dunes was chosen as the site for an observatory established in 1998 in partnership with the Boise Astronomical Society. A second observatory was added in 2023. Visitors can earn marvelous peeks at distant planets and stars on Friday and Saturday nights from early April through mid-October, weather permitting.

scattered throughout southwest Idaho.

The one closest to Bruneau Dunes State Park is Cold Springs Winery, 17 miles east near the little town of Hammett.

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PHOTOS: VISIT IDAHO

For another form of evening entertainment, remember that wineries are

Scenic Flights Picture an endless sea of brilliant blue sky while soaring so close to the Tetons it feels like you could almost touch them...

Airplane Scenic Flights

Your visit to Teton Valley is not complete until you have experienced the surroundings from the air. Teton Aviation offers scenic flights that cater to the customer’s interests.

Learn to Fly in the Tetons

Turn your dream of flying into a reality! Flight instruction offered with the Teton Mountains as your training ground.

800.472.6382 | 208.354.3100 | tetonaviation.com

BRUNEAU DUNES STATE PARK boasts the longest camping season of any Idaho state park thanks to its low elevation of around 2,500 feet. The dunes are an exciting natural wonder to climb, explore, and even surf on a unique sand-boarding adventure.

SUMMER 2024

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COMPASS POINTS

local flavors

Juanita’s Market Find Find tamales, tamales, helados, helados, and and more more at at this Mexican-style Mexican-style grocery grocery store store

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Dried beans are

available in varieties from fava to pinto; shelves stocked with everything from spices to snacks; flavorful helados pack the freezer; on display at the checkout counter are baseball-style caps and many other goodies; bills in the Mexican currencyexchange drawer; Patricia Bocardo welcomes customers.

OPPOSITE Tamales are available during weekends.

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Inspiring passion and creativity Teton High School senior Shea Myers painted the above mural at Tetonia Elementary School gymnasium for her senior project.

BY KRISTEN POPE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CODY DOWNARD

As I walked into Juanita’s Market, the warm and festive atmosphere struck me as a stark contrast to the slushy, muddy world outside.

I was greeted with a friendly “Hola!” and Spanish-language music was playing as I browsed the aisles. The Mexican-style grocery store, located in Victor, offers an

Thank you for supporting your public schools!

The future begins here.

Learn more about student achievement and all TSD 401 school programs at tsd401.org

array of items, from fresh produce and cheeses, to dried chilis, ice cold Mexican ice cream called helados, and even fresh hot food on weekends.

Established in 2021, Juanita’s Market found its home in the bustling Togwotee Center complex, sandwiched between the eclectic 2nd Act Thrift Store and the aromatic Atelier Coffee. Owned by José de Jesus Bocardo Susano and wife Patricia Bocardo, the store is named after Jo-

for the mountain minded

sé’s grandmother, Juanita, who operated her own market in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala where he grew up.

The store is a well-stocked market where people can also make internation-

Full S

al money transfers, and purchase home items like stockpots and bedding, cleaning products, toiletries, decorations, and even hats. On weekends, Juanita’s serves

R E PA e r v i c e S A L E I R S Kayak & S B i k e S h o S UP p Clothi Rentals · R E NT C n a g m s · Runn p AL & Voted ing Sh ing & Hikin Best O D g· o E es & A MOS f TV B ccess Outdoor ike & ories Ski Shop

Downtown Driggs, 70 E Little • Open every day 9 AM - 6 PM • 208-354-2354 SUMMER 2024

magazine 111

Shefter Family Foundation ©LINDA M SWOPE

G E N E R O U S LY P R E S E N T

Stay & Play in Teton Valley!

thursdays GOOD FOOD AND GOOD MUSIC

6pm-10pm

VICTOR CITY PARK

2024 LINEUP

June 20

ZIVANAI MASANGO & ZIMBIRA Calle Mambo

June 27

AJ LEE & BLUE SUMMIT One Ton Pig

July 11 tetonvalleyfoundation.org

July 25

THE RUMBLE featuring CHIEF JOSEPH BOUDREAUX JR. Cache Funk Music

August 1

NO SUCH ANIMAL Box Elder

JOE HERTLER & THE RAINBOW SEEKERS

August 8

July 18

August 15

Triple Lindy

THE DEADLOCKS WITH SPECIAL GUEST Batdorf & The Brother Wolf

MOUNTAIN GRASS UNIT Darrell Scott

MIKE LOVE

Chanman Roots Band

©LINDA M SWOPE

©LINDA M SWOPE

Enjoy Community Supported Music!

up tasty hot foods like quesadillas and tamales.

On the far wall, a spice array displays flavorings like ground shrimp, ground arbol chili, avocado leaves, and dried pasilla chili pods. A multitude of teas and herbs, from corn silk to mugwort and mullein, emit a lovely aroma, beckoning to be sipped and savored. The shelves are lined with seasonings and sauces to accompany nearly any Mexican dish, such as tajin and chamoy, as well as a variety of salsas from salsa picante and guacamole salsa to mole verde, and more.

While the shop holds a wealth of ingredients for homemade meals, it also has plenty of quick bites. Chips like quesoflavored Ruffles, wagon-wheel shaped duros, and Churrumais con Limoncito are a few favorites.

By the front door, a freezer full of helados features ice creams and fruit bars in a rainbow of colors, with flavors like

The store is named after José’s grandmother, Juanita, who operated her own market in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.

CUSTOMERS CHECK OUT at Juanita’s Market.

The Mexican-style grocery store has hot foods like tamales and quesadillas on the weekends.

strawberry lemonade, banana, and coconut. Colorful piñatas dangle from a wire.

A colorful star-shaped red Mickey Mouse piñata hangs alongside pale pink, baby blue, bright green, and yellow ones in all sorts of shapes, with dangling streamers, all for celebrating birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions.

Whether you’re preparing for a party, gathering the ingredients for a homecooked meal, or simply snagging a snack on the go, the friendliness and flavors at Juanita’s will keep you coming back.

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dining guide

Agave

310 North Main Street, Driggs 208-354-2003 Open Daily 11am–10pm

From the owners of El Abuelito in Jackson comes Agave, Teton Valley’s very own family Mexican restaurant! Serving fajitas, burritos, and all of your Mexican favorites, cooked to perfection seven days a week, with lunch specials from 11am to 3pm daily. Bienvenidos amigos, mi casa es su casa! [p. 18]

Alpine Air Coffee Roasting & Cafe

175 West Center Street, Victor Tues–Sat, 7am–2pm; Sunday, 8am–2pm

alpineaircoffee.com

Alpine Air Coffee Roasting was born from a long-time passion for coffee, an eco-conscious drive to provide packaging that won’t stay on Earth forever, and a desire to share just how great one of the most consumed beverages in the world can be. Stop by our café and roastery for fresh coffee drinks, bagged coffee roasted fresh in-house, and gourmet toasts, burritos, and baked goods. All Alpine Air coffee is sourced responsibly and is 100 percent organic, certified by the Montana Department of Agriculture. [p. 24]

Apex Private Chef Service

Serving Jackson Hole and Teton Valley 208-351-7380

apexprivatechef.com Apex Private Chef Service is a wedding and event catering and private chef serving Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Teton Valley, Idaho. Led by chefs Dylan Smith and Marlee Marie, Apex Private Chef Service creates customized meal plans that cater to all dietary needs. The team brings a wealth of experience, creativity, and deep appreciation for locally sourced ingredients to every meal they prepare. Let Apex Private Chef Service craft a memorable and delicious experience for you. Whether you need meals made weekly for you and your family or a larger event, they’ve got you covered. [p. 28]

Barrels & Bins

36 South Main Street, Driggs 208-354-2307 Open Daily 8am–7pm

barrelsandbins.market

Teton Valley’s source for all-natural and organic products including local and organic produce, meats, cheeses, and bulk food; 460 Bread baked fresh daily; beer and wine; nutritional supplements; health and beauty products; all-natural pet foods; and much more! Juice & Smoothie Bar is open 9:30am to 1:30pm daily. Check in for sandwiches and salads, as well as other grab-and-go takeout options. [p. 44]

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Broulim’s Fresh Foods 240 South Main Street, Driggs 208-354-2350 Open Mon–Sat 7am–11pm

broulims.com/driggs

Order our delicious Bistro sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, or panini sandwiches made fresh daily. Our deli has hot baked or rotisserie chicken, take-and-bake pizza, and other meal options to go. Check out our assortment of hand-cut specialty cheeses, full-service coffee bar, freshly prepared salads, Sushi Bar, and hot Asian food. Daily specials of smoked meats available. Inquire about our catering services at service deli counter. [p. 101]

Butter Cafe

57 South Main Street, Victor 208-399-2872 Visit website for menus, hours, and online ordering

butterinvictor.com

Indulge in the rustic charm and culinary delights of Butter Cafe, nestled in the heart of Victor. Discover a haven where regionally sourced ingredients meet creative culinary flair, offering a delectable menu that celebrates the world’s flavors. From mouthwatering pastries and savory brunch dishes to daily happy hour and bistro-style dinners, Butter Cafe guarantees a memorable dining escapade for all taste preferences. Whether you’re a local food enthusiast or a curious traveler, stay connected with us on Instagram for the latest updates on hours, specials, and menus, and embark on a flavorful journey with Butter Cafe. [p. 88]

Citizen 33 Brewery & Restaurant

364 North Main Street, Driggs 208-354-2073 Open Daily 4pm–9pm

citizen33.com

From the team behind Forage Bistro and Tatanka Tavern, Citizen 33 Brewery & Restaurant in Driggs is dedicated to serving fresh, delicious, and locally sourced food and beer from the Main Street pub.

Enjoy ever-changing brews on tap by Brew Master Nick Farney and a delicious menu by Chef John Perry featuring elevated bar bites like local fried cheese curds and fried pickle chips, burgers, and flavorful entrees. Citizen 33 was built for the community and visitors of Teton Valley to come together and celebrate this amazing place with delicious food and cold craft beer. Cheers to the citizens, “a native or inhabitant,” of Route 33! [p. 32]

Forage Bistro & Lounge 253 Warbird Lane, Driggs 208-354-2858 Open Daily 12pm–8pm Reservations Recommended

forageandlounge.com

Forage Bistro is now at a new location, the Driggs Airport! Dine while you watch the planes in action or take a tour of the Warbird planes.

Specializing in seasonal mountain comfort food with an emphasis on local ingredients, Forage offers creative, chef-inspired lunch, happy hour, dinner, and weekend brunch. Enjoy craft cocktails, beer and wine, amazing burgers, steak, game meats, scallop tacos, pasta, house made desserts, and more made from scratch. [p. 32]

Grand Targhee Resort 3300 Ski Hill Road, Alta, WY 800-TARGHEE (827-4433)

grandtarghee.com

Refuge Taphouse

2 North Main Street, Victor Sun–Thurs 3pm–9pm; Fri–Sat 3pm–10pm Ages 21 and over

@refuge_taphouse This summer come check out the Powder Cache Bar & Grill. When you join us for a meal, you’ll see why Powder Cache is one of the bestkept secrets in Teton Valley. Our warm, welcoming atmosphere and excellent service allow you to sit back, relax, and take in the incredible views from our floor-to-ceiling windows or expanded summer patio. Our culinary team offers fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients to create our American West-inspired mountain comfort dishes.

At the Trap Bar and Grill, enjoy a wide selection of local microbrews on tap, great food like the famous Wydaho Nachos, and HD TVs with your favorite sports teams! Snorkels is your slopeside bistro; enjoy grab and go options to fuel you up before you hit the trails. [BC] 4/29/24, 2:07 PM

Stop by Refuge Taphouse on Main Street in Victor for craft beer and wine by the glass. Enjoy twelve constantly rotating taps from top-tier local, regional, and international craft breweries and cideries. Take happy hour home with an eclectic selection of to-go beer and wine.

Ages twenty-one and over. Menu features light bar snacks, and outside food is welcome. Refuge Taphouse is the place for summer après, best enjoyed in our outdoor beer garden. [p. 39]

Ottos_main_B_teal (1).svg

Grand Teton Brewing 430 Old Jackson Hwy, Victor

grandtetonbrewing.com

Come enjoy our outdoor lawn and cozy tap room. Grab a bite from Otto’s Kitchen and a pint after a day in the mountains. [p. 38] file:///Users/katherinehull/Downloads/Ottos_main_B_teal (1).svg

1/1

King Sushi

98 East Little Avenue, Driggs 208-354-5464 Tues–Sun 4:30–9pm

kingshushijh.com DRIGGS, IDAHO

A sushi staple on both sides of the Tetons, King Sushi offers an inspired menu featuring sushi, sashimi, and rolls along with cocktails, wine, and sake crafted from head chef and James Beard nominee, Jason King. Enjoy an ever-changing specials menu with seasonal rolls, delicious nigiri, and more. Located on Little Avenue just off Main Street; stop by for happy hour on the front patio, grab a seat at the bar, or book a reservation at resy. com. Walk ins welcome. [p. 26]

Linn Canyon Ranch

1300 East 6000 South, Victor 208-787-LINN (5466)

linncanyonranch.com

Whether you are staying at Linn Canyon Ranch or just want to join us for dinner, the Sunset Dinner Ride is not to be missed!

Friendly mountain horses will be waiting to take you for a leisurely guided ride through the foothills of the Tetons, winding through aspen groves and fields of wildflowers. After your ride, members of the Linn family will welcome you back to an elegant western evening at our historic lodge. Appetizers and music on the porch precede a gourmet dinner, after which we’ll gather around the bonfire to roast marshmallows and stargaze. [p. 88]

Rise Coffee House 40 Depot Street, Driggs 208-354-RISE Open Daily 7:30am–2pm

risedriggs.com @risedriggs

Voted best coffee in Teton Valley six years in a row, Rise Coffee House is a place where our community gathers and connects with one another. If you are looking for a beautifully crafted espresso drink, breakfast or mouth-watering baked good, you’ll be sure to find it here. On weekend mornings this summer, enjoy live music. Follow us on social media for details. Cheers! [p. 41]

Pinky G’s Pizzeria

37 S. Main Street, Victor 208-787-PINK (7465) Open Daily 11:30am–10pm Delivery 12pm–9pm in Victor

order at pinkygs.com

Pinky G’s is bringing a taste of the Big Apple to Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and our own Victor, Idaho. Founded by Tom Fay in Jackson Hole in 2011, Pinky G’s rocketed to fame a year later, when Guy Fieri shot an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” there and was blown away by their hand tossed New York-style pizzas. Stop by the newly renovated downtown Victor location for dine-in and/or takeout. Delivery within a 3-mile radius inside Victor city limits. Enjoy house-made dough and marinara made from scratch daily, with pizzas like the Abe Froman, topped with spicy Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, fresh chopped basil, and a balsamic drizzle; or try Guy’s Pie invented by Guy Fieri himself. [p. 103]

Pizzeria Alpino

165 North Main Street, Driggs 208-354-8829 Open for dinner

pizzeriaalpino.com

Open for dinner. Pizzeria Alpino is proud to offer Teton Valley fresh and delicious Italian-inspired Rocky Mountain fare. We are grateful to showcase house made pasta and pizza using seasonal, locally grown products. Please come join us on the deck or in the dining room. Reservations are recommended and can be made at pizzeriaalpino.com.

SUMMER 2024

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dining guide

Tatanka Tavern

18 North Main Street, Suite 315 Colter Building, Driggs 208-980-7320 Open Daily 4pm–9pm

Victor Emporium

45 North Main Street, Victor 208-787-2221 Open seven days a week

tatankatavern.com

Tatanka Tavern offers wood-fired artisan pizza, salads, and the finest of craft beers and wines. Bring in the family for a night out or grab a seat at the bar and watch the game. Enjoy local favorites like the Fungus Amongus for dinner daily. [p. 32]

Teton Thai

18 North Main Street, Driggs 208-787-THAI (8424) Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30am– 2:30pm; Dinner Daily 4pm–9pm

tetonthai.com

Voted Teton Valley’s favorite restaurant, Teton Thai offers something for everyone. Enjoy a variety of our family’s favorite recipes like our homemade crispy egg rolls, coconut milk curries, or savory wok seared noodles. Stop by our taproom located down the hall from Teton Thai. Serving old-world beers along with a menu from Teton Tiger, our sister restaurant located in Jackson, Wyoming. Dine in or take out. [p. 108]

The Royal Wolf

63 Depot Street, Driggs 208-354-8365 Open Daily; serving lunch and dinner 11am–late

theroyalwolf.com

Since 1997, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed discovering this off-Main Street establishment offering a diverse menu of sandwiches, burgers, salads, appetizers, and entrées served in a casual, smokefree, pub-style environment. Complementing our menu is a full bar serving all your favorite beverages, including cocktails, wine, and a selection of regional microbrews on draft. Enjoy outdoor dining on our spacious deck during the summer. Daily food and beer specials, WiFi, and billiards. Stop by to meet old friends and make new ones.

Snow sagas and fish tales told nightly. (Hours and menu subject to change.)

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Over one million served! For more than sixty-five years, the Victor Emporium Old Fashioned Soda Fountain has served delicious milkshakes, including the World Famous Huckleberry Shake. Gourmet coffee and espresso served daily. The Emporium is also a great place to pick up those unusual gifts. Where the locals meet before enjoying the great outdoors here in Teton Valley. [p. 90]

Victor Valley Market 5 South Main Street, Victor 208-787-2230 Open Daily 7am

Victor Valley Market is your local grocer and the place to get fresh seafood and choice meats in Teton Valley. Offering a unique selection of groceries, from organic and specialty items to your everyday needs, including a full selection of wine and beer. Our gourmet deli counter offers delicious house-made takeout dishes, along with sandwiches made with locally baked bread, fresh salads, house-made soups, and so much more! Victor Valley Market has all that you need to make a delicious meal, whether for eating in or picnicking out. [p. 12]

Wydaho Roasters Coffee House

465 S Main Street, Driggs 208-999-3387 Open Daily 6am–6pm

Crafting connections, one cup and one bite at a time. Situated near downtown Driggs, Wydaho Roasters Coffee House features an array of espresso and coffee drinks, all made using beans that are roasted on the premises—you won’t find fresher coffee in Teton Valley. Come stop in, hang out, work, or study using the in-shop WiFi, and enjoy a well-crafted cup of coffee. Wydaho Roasters’ coffee is ethically sourced and artfully roasted. Pair a fresh cup of coffee with handmade baked foods like freshly-made croissants, galettes, muffins, quiche, and more. [p. 13]

lodging guide

Grand Targhee Resort 3300 Ski Hill Road Alta, WY 800-TARGHEE [827-4433]

grandtarghee.com

After a day ripping single-track or taking in the views from the top of the mountain, it’s time to relax with the family in one of a variety of western-style slopeside accommodations that invite you to relax in the high alpine setting with a quaint mountain village that offers dining and shopping. Rooms vary in size and budget, from sleeping four to ten guests. The Sioux Two Bedrooms offer a small kitchenette and are perfect for your next resort getaway. The resort is dog friendly and offers pet friendly rooms. Call 800-TARGHEE to book your stay. [BC]

Hansen Guest Ranch & Event Venue 956 Rainey Creek Road Swan Valley, ID 208-483-2305

hansenguestranch.com Hansen Guest Ranch & Event Venue offers western-style accommodations perfect for individuals as well as large groups. The property is on 18 scenic acres and features a historic 125-year-old barn, private cottages, creekside cabins, and cozy bunkhouses with porches and vaulted ceilings. Whether for a quiet getaway or a full buyout of the ranch for your retreat, wedding, camp, or family reunion, Hansen Guest Ranch is the perfect setting. The property has an outdoor cooking area, pickleball courts, horseshoe games, a fire pit, and more.

Fishing, horseback riding, hunting, and hiking are all nearby. Enjoy convenient access to the national parks and Jackson Hole. [p. 26]

Linn Canyon Ranch

1300 East 6000 South, Victor 208-787-LINN [5466]

linncanyonranch.com

Our lodging combines the best of luxurious accommodations with nature’s simple pleasures. Sleep peacefully in one of our luxury platform tents, or indulge yourself in creature comforts and rustic elegance in our artisan-built timberframe cabin. Our guests feel relaxed and inspired in our cozy mountain sanctuary. When you make your lodging reservation, we will also book your riding and dining activities at the ranch. We are also happy to help you reserve off-site adventures such as floating, fishing, hiking, and sightseeing. [p. 88]

Moose Creek Ranch

2733 East 10800 South, Victor 208-510-0216

moosecreekranch.com

Moose Creek Ranch is a beautiful location for retreats, weddings, family reunions, weekend getaways, or your base camp while visiting the surrounding area. Situated just over the pass from Jackson Hole, enjoy access to endless world-class outdoor recreation. Offering comfortable accommodations from cabins and glamping tents to RV sites and conestoga wagons, we have something for everyone. Guests and the public can horseback ride from the ranch, rent E-bikes, explore nearby trails, and so much more. Make your next visit an unforgettable experience at Moose Creek Ranch. [p. 33]

Teton Homestead

18 North Main Street, #105, Driggs 800-746-5518

mail@tetonhomestead.com tetonhomestead.com

Welcome to Teton Homestead, where we continue a proud threedecade tradition of excellence in property management in Teton Valley. As industry pioneers, we’re on the cutting edge, redefining standards and elevating expectations. With Teton Homestead, expect more: more revenue, more communication, and more confidence in your property management team. Whether you’re interested in vacation homes, long-term rentals, caretaking, or housekeeping services, we are committed to exceeding your expectations. [p. 23]

Teton Valley Cabins

34 East Ski Hill Road, Driggs 208-354-8153 or 866-687-1522

stay@tetonvalleycabins.com tetonvalleycabins.com

Nestled in the heart of Teton Valley, our family-owned cabins welcome you for special getaways, vacation home base, family or group reunions, and more. Quaint charm, rustic cabins, and affordable rates await! Enjoy locally owned restaurants and shops, along with easy access to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Targhee Resort, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Staying at Teton Valley Cabins means you don’t have to leave your furry friends behind. We offer various room types equipped with microwave, fridge, satellite TV, WiFi, and pet friendly room accommodations. Check out our website for trip planning and activities in Teton Valley. We can’t wait to see you! [p. 34]

Teton Valley Property Management

253 South Main Street, Driggs 208-354-3431

info@tetonvalleypm.com tetonvalleyvacationrentals.com Allow us to find that perfect home or condo to make your vacation memorable. All our homes are nicely furnished, meticulously maintained, and fully equipped to accommodate your group at a fraction of what you would pay for hotel rooms. All homes come complete with linens, kitchen necessities, smart TVs or satellite TV service, high-speed internet, soaps, and paper products. Book online and receive all the conveniences of home, away from home. [p. 8] SUMMER 2024

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school directory

church directory Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Teton School District 401

Teton Valley is home to three meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds are welcome.

tsd401.org

Sunday worship services are held in Victor (87 East Center Street; 9am, 10:30am, and 12pm), Driggs (225 North 1st Street; 9am, 10:30am, and 12pm), and Tetonia (209 South Main Street; 9am and 10:30am).

Worship services are centered on the partaking of the bread and water of the sacrament. This one-hour meeting includes congregational hymns, prayers, and brief sermons focused on the love of God and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Following this meeting, visitors of all ages are invited to attend a one-hour Sunday School class, divided by various age groups. Additional information can be found by calling Zane Calderwood (208-317-3325), Wade Treasure (208-351-4480), or by visiting ChurchOfJesusChrist.org.

Good Shepherd Catholic Church 2559 South ID-33 | Driggs | 208-354-1771

uppervalleycatholic.com

Good Shepherd is a Roman Catholic Church serving the needs of the faithful in Teton Valley. As an ever-growing parish, we welcome all in participation in our liturgies, devotions, ministries, and activities.

Mass times on Sunday include a 9am mass in English and an 11am mass in Spanish with Confession after each Sunday mass. In addition, there is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays from noon to 5pm, followed by bilingual mass. Confession is offered Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30pm. Preparation is offered for all the Sacraments. The church is open for prayer during the day, and we would love for you to join our Catholic community.

Headwaters Calvary Chapel

500 Ski Hill Road | Driggs | 208-354-WORD [9673]

headwaterschurch.fun

District Office: 208-228-5923

Empowering our students to reach their full potential—Teton School District 401 provides a safe and exceptional learning environment where career and college readiness are the academic cornerstones of a relevant and progressive education. [p. 111]

Teton High School

Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5924

tsd401.org

Teton High School strives to recognize the uniqueness of the individual in preparing for a lifetime of learning. THS provides a safe and academically focused learning environment, where students are challenged for career and college readiness.

Basin High School

Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5928

tsd401.org

Basin High School is an alternative for students who meet the state criteria for enrollment. Students obtain credits through a stateapproved independent-study format, with assistance from certified staff.

Teton Middle School Grades 6–8 | 208-228-5925

tsd401.org

The mission of TMS is to be a safe and innovative organization that empowers each student and staff member to develop a foundation of self-efficacy, build relationships, overcome challenges, stretch their grit and resilience, and recognize their potential.

Our vision is to simply teach the Bible simply—and thus, our pattern of study is verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book, right through the whole Bible. Sunday service starts at 10am; dress is smart casual. Wednesday Bible study starts at 7pm; dress is casual. From the stoplight in Driggs, head east on Ski Hill Road and the church will be on your left as you round the turn.

Rendezvous Upper Elementary

St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church

Teton K-3 Elementary Schools

sftetons@silverstar.com | stfrancis.episcopalidaho.org

tsd401.org

20 Alta School Road | Alta, WY | 307-353-8100

Join us for Sunday morning worship beginning at 10am. St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church welcomes worshippers of all walks of faith. In the shadow of the Tetons, this historic church offers an opportunity to experience God’s presence and join in fellowship, spiritual renewal, and service to others.

Teton Valley Bible Church

265 North 2nd East | Driggs | 208-354-8523

tetonvalleybiblechurch.org

Teton Valley Bible Church exists to glorify God and exalt Jesus Christ as Lord through Holy Spirit-empowered living and worship. Our mission is to make disciples through gospel-centered outreach, the spiritual building-up of believers, and living in loving fellowship with one another. We gather together to worship the Lord on Sunday mornings; please visit the website for service times. Pastor Jim Otto (MDiv) is committed to expositional preaching and Biblical theology. Childcare is available and all are welcome. [p. 46]

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magazine SUMMER 2024

Grades 4–5 | Driggs 208-228-5926

tsd401.org

Rendezvous’ mission is to create a caring community of learners who inspire each other to embrace curiosity, value others’ opinions, and develop a foundation of self-efficacy.

Victor 208-228-5929 | Driggs 208-228-5927 | Tetonia 208-228-5930 The mission of the TSD 401 elementary schools is to be integral in the partnership between school, home, and community in nurturing and encouraging all children to become productive citizens and lifelong learners.

FREE MUSIC, ART & THEATER IN DOWNTOWN DRIGGS, IDAHO

Driggs Plein Air Festival July 21 – 27 | Driggs Plaza & Gallery July 21 - Opening Reception and Concert July 26 - Awards Ceremony and Concert

Downtown Sounds Concerts

July 18 - September 20 - Art Sales at Teton Geo Center

presented by:

Belle Nuit: A Beautiful Night of Song - Opera June 7 - 6pm | Teton Geo Center & Museum Teton Valley Chamber Music Festival

Cordovas - American Rock

July 3 - 6pm | Driggs Plaza In partnership with Teton County Idaho Fairgrounds

The Shift - R&B and Jazz

July 21 - 6pm | Driggs Plaza

Black Rock Winds - Classical July 26 - 6pm | Driggs Plaza

The Wild Potatoes - Irish

Shakespeare in the Parks July 28 | Teton County Courthouse Lawn

Vaudeville Skits by ACT Foundation - 5:30pm

August 16 - 6-8pm | Driggs Plaza

Hamlet - 6pm

Dirty Cello - Blues, Americana and Rock

Visit Driggs, Idaho

August 30 - 6pm | Driggs Plaza

Nicolas Meier Trio - World Jazz September 5 - 6pm | Driggs Plaza

to enjoy live music, art and theater.

Stay overnight to explore the historic downtown with great shops & dining.

Scan for info:

TETON VALLEY

www.downtowndriggs.org SUMMER 2024

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exposure

Pickleball in the Tetons PHOTOS BY LINDA M SWOPE

Pickleball is on the rise in Pierre’s Hole. Eight courts located at Primrose Park in Driggs offer picklers the chance to practice perfecting the world’s fastest growing sport, which is like a mix of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Join Teton Valley Pickleball on Facebook for times and more information. Seasoned players are also ready and willing to teach newbies the moves and rules.

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magazine SUMMER 2024

Consistently selling Teton Valley’s most exclusive properties.

SCAN FOR WEBSITE

CISCOGROUPJH.COM | 307.699.1390 | 307.413.2905